Marriage Stories 1 – Argis the Bulwark
by StumpyBear
Summary: Alduin was defeated and the arrogant Stormcloak had his throne. Arianna Goldenmane had bought the house in Markarth because it was the furthest she could get from the soon to be High King and still be in Skyrim. StumpyBear smut/fluff warning.
1. Chapter 1

The house in Markarth, Vlindrel Hall, had quickly become her favourite and that was despite, rather than because of, the gruff Housecarl that the Jarl had seen fit to bestow on her when making her Thane. Arianna really didn't understand the fixation in Skyrim for giving away people. If she had wanted a servant, which she didn't, she would have hired her own.

While there were some advantages to having someone living in her home; the constant supply of fresh food, the fires and lamps always lit, she was, by nature, a solitary woman and her hermitic tendencies had flourished under the heavy mantle of Dovahkiin so while recognising these advantages, the presence of others in her homes irked her. Lydia's constant fussing in Whiterun, Iona's frankly bizarre attitude in Riften and now this taciturn beast of a man who rarely spoke or smiled. He paced, patrolling the house like a caged pit wolf, his steel boots ringing on the flagstone floors. To the front door and back, across the main living area into the alchemy and enchanting rooms, back into the living area. Sit for a while and repeat.

It was driving Arianna mad as she sat, curled in one of the wide, comfortable chairs beside the fire, a stack of books and a bottle of spiced wine at her elbow, The Annals of the Dragonguard balanced open on one thigh.

"Argis!" she snapped as the man passed behind her chair for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening.

"Yes, my Thane?"

His voice, when he did speak, was pleasing though. Deep and slightly rough but considered at the same time. If Arianna were in the mood to listen to a man talk, his would be the exact voice she would want to listen to.

"Will you please stop pacing?" She measured the words slowly for emphasis and looked up at him as he came to stand beside her chair.

"My Thane?"

A hint of puzzled flickered across his face. It was a pleasing enough face, she supposed. He was handsome in a way though she couldn't quite decide whether that was because of, or despite, the vivid scars that raked from his forehead, down his cheek to finish on the bow of his top lip. Whatever had given him the scars had also taken his left eye leaving milky blindness.

"Argis, I am trying to concentrate. I am finding that difficult with you stamping around."

"Stamping, my Thane?" The eyebrow above his piercing blue eye rose fractionally.

"Can you not just sit down and read a book or something?"

"If my presence is disturbing you, I will go to my room." He bowed very slightly at the waist. "Good night, my Thane."

Arianna heard his footsteps retreat and then blessed silence apart from the crackling fire. She heaved a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to the heavy book.

It was late when she finally decided to turn in, the fire had reduced to embers and a distinct chill had stolen through the ancient stonework of the house. She stood up and stretched, her muscles and bones protesting at being motionless for so long, and her feet were suddenly cold on the stone floor.

She could hear Argis snoring lightly in the room opposite her bedroom as she closed the heavy iron doors that separated the private quarters from the rest of the house and, suddenly curious, she tiptoed to the doorway of his room and peeked inside.

Argis was stretched out flat on his back and still in his armour on the narrow stone bed. Stone bed? By the Divines, how did anyone sleep on a stone bed? But then, how on earth could anyone sleep in leather and iron? She stole closer and looked down into his face which was relaxed and wiped clear of the usual tension that hovered about his eyes. He was a good-looking man, she decided, both despite and because of the scars. He shifted restlessly and Arianna, having no desire to be caught standing over him, fled for her own room and her own bed, which was wide and comfortable and definitely not made of stone.

The following morning when Arianna woke up, she could hear that Argis was already pacing. She inwardly groaned and then an idea hit her. She had picked up a bounty note from the waspish barkeep at the Silverblood Inn, maybe if she asked Argis, he might want to come along and expend some excess energy. Maybe there would then be less pacing.

She rolled out of bed, opened her wardrobe and rifled through her clothing. She selected a light dress, tugged it over her naked body adjusting her breasts in the flimsy bodice and went to find the surly man.

"Argis!" she called, and jumped when his voice came from behind her.

"My Thane?"

She spun around as he emerged from his room, a slight flush staining his features. She frowned briefly and then quickly explained about the bounty. "So, would you like to join me in routing a few rebels?" she finished and had to smile at the grin that lit up his face.

"I am your sword and your shield. I will protect you with my life," he proclaimed and it was the first time she had ever heard eagerness in his voice.

"Be ready to go in about an hour," she said, walking over to the table and helping herself to a wedge of cheese, a couple of apples and a small piece of bread.

Argis came to stand beside her, looking down at her plate with disapproval on his face. "If we are going to fight, you should eat something more substantial than that," he chided, waving a dismissive hand at her breakfast.

"Not first thing," she answered shortly, trying not to let the irritation that had flared within her show. "Pack some food to take with us. We'll likely be gone all day and may not make it back tonight."

"Yes, my Thane."

She blew her cheeks out in annoyance. "I do have a name, you know."

He stared at her blankly. " I do not know it."

"No. I don't suppose you do." She looked at him for a long moment. "I'm Arianna. My friends call me Ari, not that I have many." She hadn't meant to say the last bit aloud but Argis snorted in what she realised was amusement.

"That makes two of us then." He turned to go and prepare their gear. "Funny thing," he murmured. "I dreamt you were in my room last night, just standing beside my bed."

Arianna's face flooded with colour as he looked back over his shoulder at her and eyed her for a moment before heading back to his room.

They walked for most of the morning in a silence that was surprisingly companionable. Arianna wasn't a great talker and neither was Argis but it was still pleasant to have someone with her for a change especially someone who didn't feel the need to fill the silence.

As they neared the cave that she was going to paid for clearing out, she grabbed his arm and motioned him down into the long grass.

"How's this going to work then?" His mouth was suddenly very close to her ear, his breath tickling at her hair as they both surveyed the rocky outcrop and the numerous Forsworn that patrolled. "Nice armour," he murmured as one particularly well-endowed female came into view and she heard a thread of laughter in the two words.

"Armour or decoration?" she whispered. She grinned at him and saw surprise flicker across his face. She gestured at the bow on her back. "Let's see if we can find a good spot without being seen. I'll take out as many as I can with my bow; you get to wale on the rest. Don't let them get too close to me."

She was beginning to question the wisdom of bringing him along now that the fight was imminent. Alone she could fade into shadows and disappear until her enemies gave up searching for her and she could pepper them with arrows again. Alone she could use Dov magic without the all too common reaction of fear and awe that made her feel more like a freak than a hero.

"Not a swords-woman then," Argis breathed.

"No," she answered, shortly.

"I meant nothing by it. I need to know if you can't go hand-to hand," his voice was a reasonable growl. "How many do you think there are?"

Arianna turned her head, her nose almost brushing his, their faces were so close. "I have way of finding out," she whispered, not knowing why she was about to flaunt her power in front of this man. His eyebrow rose enquiringly.

She took a deep breath and centred herself, drawing on the immense power that coursed dormant through her body until she called it.

"Laas Yah Nir."

The words were expelled on her exhaled breath and she felt Argis stiffen beside her as the terrain around them came alive with red, glowing shapes. She held up two fingers and pointed to their left, three including the heavy-chested female were in front of them and one off to the right.

"Six in total," he whispered.

"That's just outside. The chances are that any sounds of fighting will bring more from inside the cave." She delved into an outside pocket on her pack and drew out a heavy silver necklace studded with a single flawless sapphire. "Change of plan. Put this on," she instructed.

"What is it?"

"Lightening ward. I made it myself."

"Lightening?" he asked taking the necklace from her fingers and fastening it around his neck.

"Yes. Stay down."

Arianna rose to her feet, still concealed by the rock they hid behind.

"Strun Bah Qo!"

The shout was deafening this time. Arianna dropped back into the grass but not before she saw several of the Forsworn searching for the source of the sound.

Dark grey clouds boiled across what had been a clear blue sky and heavy rain started to pound down as lightning raked across the ground and found the sentries guarding the cave. The screams could barely be heard over the violent, killing storm. A fork of blue-white light struck the rock in front of them, showering them both with sharp fragments of stone.

Arianna pushed Argis sideways into the grass and covered as much of his body as she could with her own, burying her face in his neck as the lightning hissed into the wet grass beside their bodies.

Argis lay perfectly still beneath her seemingly stunned by what was happening but she could hear his ragged breathing against her ear as the storm raged around them.

The screams grew less and less until the only sounds were the rain hammering down on them and the wind howling. And then, as abruptly as it had started, the rain ceased and the clouds rolled away.

Argis's hand grabbed a sodden hank of her hair and her head was jerked from the warmth of his neck so he could lift his head and look into her face.

"What are you?" he whispered, fixing her with a direct, challenging stare.

Her mouth tightened. She didn't want to answer but somehow she felt she owed him the truth. "Dragonborn."

He frowned. "But you're just a little girl."

Arianna bristled. "I am not 'just a little girl', she spat, angrily and suddenly became aware of her body pressed to the length of his.

Argis was silent for a long moment. He seemed unable to stop his eye travelling down her very obviously female form encased in skin-tight leather armour. "No," he agreed at last. "I suppose you're not."

Arianna didn't understand what was suddenly bubbling beneath the surface and, for a moment, felt like the child she had denied being. She rolled off him into the wet grass and sat up.

"Laas Yah Nir."

This time, the whisper revealed no flickering shapes outside the cave. She looked down at Argis who still lay in the grass, an unfathomable expression on his face.

"Well, come on. We've got a cave to clear, unless you would rather stay here."

He smiled, the sweetest smile she had ever seen. "And what do you need me for exactly?" he teased as he hauled himself to his feet.

The only response she could think of was to punch his arm and smile foolishly when he laughed.

Arianna watched as Argis, utilising the dead body at his feet, wiped his sword on the fur armour, straightened and sheathed his weapon. The cave was silent except for the sound of trickling water dripping over the rocks.

"That went well," Argis said with a tight grin. She could see the adrenalin still coursing through his body, igniting his good eye with a fierce light.

"It did," she agreed. "If you're going to come out and play with me though, you are going to need better armour and weapons."

"I'll be fine," he grunted, shortly.

"Argis-" She stared at him not knowing how to put into words how badly she didn't want him to be hurt. He had proved himself easy company, well able to take care of himself and she found that an affection for him had taken root inside her somewhere over the course of the day.

He glanced at her briefly and seemed to read something in her face. "Ah, maybe you're right," he said.

Arianna's face broke into a huge, genuine smile and she saw his eyes widen.

"Gods woman. You should smile like that more often," he blurted and then swiftly ducked down to search the body at his feet and hide his obvious embarrassment.

Arianna stared at the back of his head, touched and pleased at his reaction. It was on a whim that she had brought him with her and, to her surprise, she couldn't now imagine him not being with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Arianna felt inexplicably and uncomfortably tense, she couldn't say why but it was there nonetheless, gnawing away at her.

Three weeks had passed since their first outing together and they had rarely been apart since but she found that his presence increasingly confused her. The sight of his wide chest and narrow hips encased in his new, gleaming, ebony armour stirred something within her that she wanted to neither acknowledge nor admit. His sweet smile did strange things to her and she could lose track of what he was saying if he unleashed that devastating weapon on her. And the voice that she had always recognised as pleasing tugged at her body in a way that it should never be able to. No man should ever have that sort of power over a woman.

Argis seemed completely oblivious to her turmoil as they trekked through the mountains along the snowy path that would eventually take them to Whiterun. She was hoping that they would get there before night fell. Being out in the wilds was dangerous and unpredictable enough without adding darkness to the equation.

"You hungry?" Argis asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Arianna shook her head. "Mind if we stop for a moment?"

She shrugged and watched him swing his pack off his back, and kneel to rummage through it, pulling out a loaf of bread and a hunk of the smelly blue cheese that he seemed to love. He set his helmet carefully down beside him.

Arianna smiled grimly to herself as she turned to survey the snowy landscape for any sign of danger. She was sure that Argis's main concern in life was his stomach. The man seemed to eat a colossal amount. She waited patiently though until he was done with his meagre meal and he stood, shouldering his pack once more.

"Let's go," she said, tersely and saw a flicker of hurt confusion on his face. "I want to get to Whiterun before it gets dark," she added to take the sting out of her words.

"We will," he grunted, covering his head and face with ebony once more.

The attack when it came was brutal and swift. Two archers high in the rocks and two more, a man and a woman dressed in primitive fur armour, brandishing huge two-handed weapons blocking the path. Argis roared in defiance, unsheathing his sword and raising his shield as he implacably advanced.

Against the backdrop of clashing weapons and cries of pain, Arianna took careful aim at one of the archers, focusing on the shape silhouetted against the sky, and felled him with a single arrow. She swung to take out the other, glancing at Argis to see him more than holding his own. He fought with a tightly controlled fluid grace that was almost beautiful to watch. He wasted no movement as he parried, blocked and stabbed.

One of the bandits was already down, kneeling in the snow trying to muster the strength to stand. Arianna finished him with a quick arrow to the throat and turned to find the other archer, crying out as an arrow struck her midriff and bounced harmlessly off her armour.

She took aim again and was just about to release the bowstring when Argis jumped in front of her, an arrow clattering off his shield as he did so. Arianna jerked her arm up, painfully wrenching her wrist and let the arrow fly, harmlessly, into the sky.

"Gods damnit!" she hissed.

The lone archer, all that was left of the small troupe dropped out of sight behind a rock giving her time to nock another arrow. Her arm was shaking as she tried to aim.

Argis glanced back over his shoulder at her and then charged up the rocky incline towards the bandits hiding place. It was over in a flash; a scream of pain and blood spraying in a shockingly crimson arc across the snow.

Argis jogged back down the hill, sheathing his sword and pulling off his helmet.

"God damnit, Argis," Arianna spat at him and watched his face cloud with angry confusion. "I nearly hit you, you idiot. Do not jump in front of me when I am about to take a shot. Do you want an arrow in the ass?"

"He hit you," Argis answered, heatedly.

"I have armour on!" She rapped her knuckles against the hardened leather for emphasis.

"He hit you," Argis repeated, stubbornly. "I am your sword and your shield."

"Which is no use if I shoot you myself," Arianna yelled as her anger and horror at what might have happened surfaced fully and she was swept away on a sudden, violent torrent of emotion.

"I-" Argis's face shuttered. "I was just trying to protect you."

Arianna deflated at his hurt expression and clipped her bow onto her back. "That's fine," she said, softly. "Just don't get in my way when I am about to take a shot. I nearly broke my wrist." She bent her hand back, wincing as she did so, and made her hand describe a full, painful circle. Her wrist throbbed and was already beginning to swell up.

"Are you alright?" His voice was stiff.

"Yes but I wouldn't be if I had shot you in the back." With force and at close range, she knew the arrow would have penetrated the ebony armour covering him.

His shoulders sagged, visible even under his heavy cuirass. He closed the gap between them and rested his gauntleted hands on her shoulders. "I just heard you cry out," he said, gently. The anger washed from his features.

"I suppose that it's going to take a while for us to get used to fighting together," she answered. She briefly covered one of the hands on her shoulders with her own and squeezed knowing that he couldn't really feel it through the gauntlet. "I'm sorry I got angry."

He smiled the sweet smile that made her heart pound in her chest. "I should have looked," he admitted. "I didn't think."

"Okay. Whiterun then?"

"Lead on, my Thane."

Night was falling when they entered the wide, wooden gates into Whiterun. Arianna could see the lamps blazing in the windows of her little house. She stopped outside Breezehome and looked back over her shoulder at Argis who had taken off his helmet and was tugging off his gauntlets.

"We'll stay here tonight."

He frowned. "How many houses do you own?"

"Three." She didn't tell him that she could purchase another two at any time.

His eyebrow rose. "Why spend so much time in Markarth?"

"I like Markarth," she said, not explaining that it was far out of Ulfric's reach and granted her a certain anonymity. Not everyone knew she was the Dragonborn in Markarth and if they did, they didn't seem to care.

Argis studied her for a long moment. "Is there an inn where I can stay the night?" he asked.

"An inn?" she echoed. "Why?"

"It wouldn't be right for you to have strange men traipsing in and out of your house."

"You're not strange," she objected, feeling strangely bereft at the idea. "You're my Housecarl."

"In Markarth. Not here."

One of the Whiterun guards stopped beside them, eyeing them curiously for a moment before he recognised Arianna. "Dragonborn," he said, solemnly, clasping his fist to his chest.

Argis's eyebrow shot skywards at the respect in the guard's voice. "The inn?" he repeated.

Arianna sighed in defeat and waved her arm in the direction of the marketplace. "The Bannered Mare. It's just up there."

"Goodnight, my Thane. I will see you in the morning."

She watched him stride up the road and realised that his refusal to stay in her house had done absolutely nothing to alleviate the peculiar tension in her body.

With a sigh, she opened the door and went inside. "Lydia!" she called, and smiled as the dark-haired woman appeared at the top of the stairs.

"My Thane." She smiled back and then her face darkened. "What are you doing here?" Arianna frowned. "Ulfric's men have been here looking for you."

"Why?"

"They didn't say but they have been asking everyone if they have seen the Dragonborn."

"Great," Arianna murmured to herself. "What did you tell them?"

"That I hadn't seen you in a while and I had no idea where you were."

"Good. Will you take some wine with me?"

"A pleasure."

Arianna grabbed a couple of bottles from the cupboard, walked up to the bedroom and joined Lydia at the table.

"Who was that man with you?" Lydia asked, taking one of the bottles and pouring a generous amount in to two cups.

Arianna's face flared red. "Nobody."

"I see." Lydia smirked. "A nobody that makes you blush like a maiden. He's certainly big."

"Witch." Lydia laughed aloud at that and Arianna had to join her.

"Why are you here?"

"We were close by. I thought I should check in with you. Make sure everything is alright. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

The next morning, Arianna awoke early and rather than donning her armour, she washed carefully and put on a light blue dress with knee-high, soft leather boots leaving her hair loose to curl in pale golden waves around her shoulders and down her back. Arming herself with just one dagger, she grabbed a couple of apples and quietly slipped out of the house as the sun was rising.

Arianna waved at Hulda, the Innkeeper, as she walked swiftly through the bar and up the stairs to the Bannered Mares only guest room. The double doors to the room were shut tight and Arianna was about to knock when she heard strange noises coming from within. She pressed her ear against the wood to listen and heard rapid, breathless panting and the unmistakable sound of the smack of flesh on flesh. She frowned, had Argis found a woman to lie with? The thought caused something inside her to clench with anger and, alarmingly, a gut wrenching envy.

Inside the room, the noises became more urgent before there was a series of grunts, a long drawn out moan and breathing slowly returning to inaudible.

Arianna squared her shoulders and rapped lightly on the wood. It was a few seconds before Argis threw open the doors and stood, gaping at her, his cheeks flushing a deep red.

"My Thane," he stuttered. "I thought you were breakfast."

Arianna had never seen him so discomfited. She glanced past him, her eyes quickly sweeping the room, which was empty apart from him and then saw the rag still wadded in his hand. A flush rose on her cheeks that matched his as she realised what he had been doing and they stood, staring at each other for a long, painfully drawn-out moment.

"How long were you outside?" Argis asked, slowly.

"Oh, not long at all." Her answer was too quick and they both knew she was lying.

"Arianna..." he began.

Arianna hastily waved her hands. "It's nothing to do with me," she said, her tongue nearly tripping over itself in her haste to get the words out.

"Is that what you think?" He laughed, almost bitterly, as his eye raked briefly over her body and he turned away from her throwing the rag into the corner of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The first time he kissed her was deep underground in one of the Dwemer ruins that dotted the landscape.

A short ugly fight with a group of Falmer; they were winning, taking down the foul creatures one by one when an arrow struck her shoulder, piercing the seam of her light leather armour and burying itself deep into her flesh. The world tilted alarmingly becoming fuzzy and black-edged. Arianna tried to reach into her pack for a potion but her fingers were lifeless, refusing to cooperate, and the darkness rose up and swallowed her. She was vaguely aware of Argis's roar of denial as she crumpled to the filthy stone.

It could have been seconds or hours later but the next thing she knew, he was kneeling beside her, his hand sliding around the nape of her neck, lifting her head and putting a blood-red potion to her mouth, dribbling the viscous liquid onto her lips. She couldn't move, the Falmer poison still coursed through her veins, paralysing her body.

Argis growled angrily and set the potion down. He used a thick index finger to catch the liquid on her chin and sweep it back up to her lips and then the finger was pushing between her lips, into her mouth.

"Come on, girl," he muttered and sucked in a sharp breath as her tongue swirled around the finger invading her mouth, the paralysis lifting it's vice-like grip as she did so. He stared down into her face as he slowly withdrew his finger, a hint of bewilderment in his eye, and put the bottle to her mouth once again carefully allowing a small trickle between her lips. She found she could swallow so she did until the bottle was empty and she felt a little strength return to her limbs.

Argis wound a thick, muscular arm around her shoulders and helped her to sit up. Arianna realised that they were inside one of the Falmer dwellings, the black claw gate closed. She frowned in confusion and then started as his fingers slid under her chin and tilted her face towards his and she could read the almost panicked fear in his eye. He leant down to her slowly, giving her time to tell him to stop, before his lips gently and carefully brushed hers, lingering for a few brief seconds. Her heart began to pound erratically and she felt the minute tremor that coursed through him.

"I can't lose you," he muttered as he drew back from the fleeting touch. "Don't you dare die on me," he added, almost angrily.

It was at that precise moment, Arianna decided that she would marry him.

Argis half carried her from the ruin to an abandoned campsite nearby.

"Stay right there," he ordered, easing her down onto a bedroll and ducking out of sight to change into his light, studded leather armour. When he returned, she watched him through half-closed eyes, pain still coursing through her body, as he got a fire blazing and begun to prepare food.

Once he had a stew bubbling in a pot over the fire, she called him to her side.

"Help me out of this." She gestured to the wicked, ripped hole in the shoulder of her armour. He blanched slightly but did as she asked. His thick fingers undoing the straps until he could lift the ruined armour from her shoulders, averting his face from her half-naked body.

Arianna examined her stiff, throbbing shoulder, the skin around the tear was puckered, red and swollen surrounded by blue-black bruising. "I won't be using a bow for a while," she muttered.

Argis looked at her, his eye scanning her face. "We should get somewhere safe. We aren't that far from Markarth if you think you can make it."

Arianna groaned, knowing he was right but dreading the trek. Her legs were weak and uncooperative, her head pounded fiercely, all lingering effects of the poison still in her system.

"Rest a while and then we'll eat," he said, taking in her expression. His eye flickered, almost unconsciously, down her body lingering briefly on her breasts in the binding that was the only thing that covered her before he rose to his feet and retreated to the fire.

Arianna watched his broad back, admiring the width of his shoulders, the finely honed muscles in his massive arms. Her reaction to his gentle kiss had surprised her, even in its injured state her body had been excited by him.

She struggled to sit up and reached into her pack, which he had thoughtfully placed beside her. She found a clean under-shirt and pulled it over her head, hissing with pain, her forehead beading with a light sweat, as she tried to slide her injured arm into the sleeve.

Argis was beside her in an instant, carefully easing the shirt back over her head. He bent her arm up over her chest so that her fingers rested on her collarbone, covering the ugly wound. "Keep still," he said and to her surprise, he wrapped the shirt around her arm, tying the sleeves behind her neck, binding her. "Gods woman, you nearly scared the life out of me."

"He was aiming for you. I don't think he even knew I was there," she said, feeling her heart begin to pound again at his heavy hand still wrapped around the back of her neck. She watched a slow, dull flush creep across his face as he felt her skin warm under his palm. "Argis, I..." She stopped, not knowing what to say. "Thank you for saving me." She changed tack, her eyes searching his face.

"I am your sword and your shield," he repeated the oft said phrase mechanically, his eye locked on hers.

"And saviour and nursemaid," she said, wryly, and smiled to hear him snort in amusement.

"Drink another potion and rest a while," he instructed, still making no effort to move his hand.

"Yes mother."

This time she wasn't surprised when his head dipped and his mouth alighted on hers firmly, his soft full lips working against her own until her mouth opened and his tongue slipped in, meeting hers. She felt the effects of his kiss swirl through her body, setting her nerves tingling to pool molten between her legs.

His breathing was ragged when he drew back. "What's happening?" he whispered, shaking his head slightly as if to dispel the effect that she had on him.

Arianna smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek with her unbound hand. "We'll talk about this when we get home," she promised.

He nodded once. "Go to sleep, woman," he said, gruffly.

And she had to be awoken a couple of hours later with a steaming bowl of stew under her nose. Her stomach lurched in protest at the idea of food. "I don't think I can," she murmured.

"You must." His voice was firm as he slid an arm under her back and lifted her into sitting.

Arianna sucked in a strangled breath at the lancing pain that shot from neck to wrist, tears springing into her eyes, as the world tilted and darkened.

"Fucking Falmer and their fucking poison," he growled, easing her back down. "Ari, listen to me, I could leave you here and go for help."

"No," she moaned.

"We have to get back. You need a healer," he reasoned.

"No," she repeated, tears sliding down her cheeks. She felt his fingers on her face brushing the tears away and then the press of another bottle of potion at her lips.

"We must move. We're maybe two hours from Markarth. I do not want to be out in the open when it gets dark."

"Fine. I can walk," she answered through gritted teeth.

And she had. With his arm about her waist holding her upright, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other for what seemed like an interminable length of time until the familiar, imposing rise of Markarth came into view.

What should have been a two-hour walk back had stretched into more than four and the sun had slipped low in the sky behind the black mountain leaving the purple stain of twilight as they reached the stables just outside the city gates.

Arianna's face was bone-white, strained with the effort of remaining upright and conscious, and her body was drenched in sweat. She groaned inwardly at the thought of climbing the steps up to Vlindrel Hall and wished briefly that they had been in Riften or Whiterun but the thought of nearly being home lent enough strength to her exhausted body for her to make it up the steep flights and into the cool, stone interior of their house.

Argis let the packs drop onto the floor as soon as they got inside and swept her up into his arms, carrying her quickly through to the master bedroom and depositing her gently onto the bed while she tried not to scream at the pain that racked her body. She opened her eyes to his worried face peering down at her and his thick fingers brushing sweat drenched hanks of pale gold hair from her forehead.

"You're freezing," he murmured looking about for something to cover her with.

"Armour off," she whispered.

Argis's face set into tight lines as he pulled her boots off her limp, unresisting body and stripped off her leather pants. He carefully tucked a blanket around her, his warm fingers brushing her skin, and piled a pelt on top of that.

"I'm going to get the healer," he told her and she barely had the energy to nod before welcome unconsciousness stole her senses.

"You pulled the arrow out?"

Arianna recognised Bothela from the Hag's Cure speaking in low tones as wrenching pain woke her, her body twisting in agony.

"Yes," Argis grunted in response.

"How quickly?"

"A matter of minutes."

"Then the poison is in her system." A cool, slender hand snaked under the blanket and settled on her ribs. "There is little that can be done." The hand withdrew. "Her heart is strong, though erratic."

"Will she be alright?" His voice was tinged with desperation.

"Likely she will. She is strong and healthy. Her body will throw off the effects of the poison with time and rest. Give her this when she wakes and another in a few hours. I will come back tomorrow morning."

Arianna heard footsteps retreating from the room and let out a trembling sigh as the pain receded slightly and she could drag a deep breath into her lungs. She opened her eyes to find that her vision was blurred, the room softened and indistinct. She tried to lift her arm and panicked when she couldn't move.

"Hush love, be still."

His voice came from somewhere above her. Love? She fought to focus and speak but her tongue was thick feeling and useless in her mouth. She felt the bed dip and shift beside her as Argis carefully lay down, his head propped up on one hand as held a vial of liquid to her lips.

"Drink this," he instructed.

The thick, foul tasting potion burned as it slid down her throat causing her to splutter and groan as pain ripped through her body again. Argis tucked his body close to the line of hers, his lips settling on her hair as his arm encircled her waist.

"I'm here," he murmured, comfortingly as the potion did its job and rendered her unconscious once more.

The room was in darkness when she opened her eyes again. Argis still lay next to her, his breathing deep and slow tickling at her hair and his arm heavy across her stomach. She did, she realised, feel slightly improved. Her vision had cleared and the tearing pain had subsided to a dull, throbbing ache. She turned her head, her nose brushing his cheek, he shifted in his sleep and mumbled something indistinct. Her heart swelled with affection for the taciturn man who had undoubtedly saved her life. Had she been alone in the ruin, she would have been captured by the Falmer and subjected to Divines knew what before they killed her. She shuddered at the thought and felt Argis's arm tighten protectively around her.

His eyes opened slowly. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice laden with sleep.

"I can see."

"You need to take more medicine." His body shifted and she felt the chill of his absence, saw his dark form disappear into the room beyond. He was back quickly with a candle that he set beside the bed and another vial of vile medicine.

Smirking at the grimace that twisted her features, he held it to her lips. "Open up," he murmured in the face of her obvious reluctance.

Arianna sighed and did as she was asked, feeling the immediate effect as her eyelids grew heavy. "Don't go," she whispered and was relieved when he lay down next to her, aligning his body to hers, his arm finding her waist once more.

It was two days before Arianna had the strength to leave her bed and totter out to the main table. Her legs felt rubbery and alien but she was walking at least. She adjusted the amulet around her neck as she made it to the chair opposite Argis and sank down gratefully. She watched his eyes widen and his face flush a dull red. He coughed nervously and handed her a plate of food.

"You need to eat," he said. It was such a mundane thing but his voice was strained somehow.

Her stomach leapt and twisted as she wondered if she had read the situation between them wrongly and then he said.

"An amulet of Mara?" The rest of his question was lost in the sudden rushing noise in her ears.

"Interested in me, are you?" She managed, unable to look him in the face.

"Won't lie, I am. And you?"

Something in her chest eased at the words and she mustered a smile as she answered. "Won't lie, I am."

His face softened as he reached across the table to take her hand in his calloused one. "Go and see the priest in Riften, he'll take care of the rest." He smiled back at her. "I'm surprised you're up."

"So am I, but I had this necklace."


	4. Chapter 4

Arianna was looking at jewellery in the marketplace in Markarth when the courier approached her, smiling brightly.

"I have a message for you."

Arianna scowled. There were few people who would send her a missive in this way and none of them were people she particularly wanted to hear from.

"Ah, here we are," the man continued, oblivious to her reluctance. "From Jarl Ulfric himself. You have powerful friends." The neatly folded note was sealed with wax and imprinted with the Stormcloak insignia. "Got to run."

Arianna sighed as she carefully broke the seal and unfolded the message. It was written in Ulfric's untidy scrawl and was brief to the point of being insulting.

'_Dragonborn, come to Windhelm at once.'_

Her mouth tightened in a hard line as she closed her eyes briefly and took a deep cleansing breath to try and quell the anger that surged through her. How dare he.

"Argis!" Arianna yelled as soon as she closed the heavy iron door to Vlindrel hall behind her. He appeared in the hallway almost at once, his face settling into a frown as he took in her expression.

"What is it?"

Now that she was fully recovered from the poisoned arrow, they had been making plans to go to Riften to see the priest and had decided on getting the carriage to Whiterun and trekking through the mountains from there. At no time had Windhelm been on the list of places they would visit.

Arianna handed him the note. "I've been summoned," she said, shortly.

Argis's forehead creased into a frown. "What does he want?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." It was months since their last somewhat tempestuous meeting.

Argis shrugged and moved closer to her, encircling her body with strong arms. "We can get the carriage to Windhelm in the morning and just go south to Riften from there," he said. His lips touched her forehead briefly. "Hot springs," he murmured and smiled against her skin as she relaxed in his arms and tilted her face upwards so his lips could find hers.

Arianna felt her annoyance melt, chased away by the sweet intensity of his mouth and his tongue lightly playing over hers. One hand rubbed comforting circles on her back, the other wound into her hair as the kiss grew steadily more urgent and Argis gently guided her backwards until her back met the rough stonework. His hand moved to her waist, stroked up over her ribs and settled below her breast, his thumb tracing the soft swell through the thin bodice of her dress and finding her nipple which instantly hardened under his touch and drew lines of desire and need down her body to her loins. She groaned into his mouth as his body stiffened, his hand instantly dropping away as he pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he said, breathing hard. "I got carried away."

"You could just carry me into the bedroom," Arianna suggested, archly. Her whole body was inflamed by his touch, demanding that something more happened.

Argis looked at her for a long moment, clearly torn between desire and his own self-imposed abstinence and then shook his head. "I think that would get us into trouble."

"Argis, we are promised." She tried not to let any hint of a whine enter her voice.

"Promised not wed." He released her almost abruptly. "Come on. We're going to need warmer gear if we're going to Windhelm."

Arianna sighed in defeat and followed him into the house.

Setting off from Markarth at first light meant a late-night arrival in Windhelm so it was the following morning when, with a heavy heart, Arianna presented herself, fully armed and armoured, at the Palace of Kings.

Ulfric was sprawled in his throne. His eyes raked over her as she bowed slightly.

"My Jarl," she murmured.

"Dragonborn. You finally made it," Ulfric drawled, his eyes flicking to Argis who stood behind her.

"I received your message the day before yesterday. I don't think I could have got here any quicker." Her voice was like acid and she felt a small jolt of pleasure at the anger that flared briefly in his eyes.

"Still so insolent," Ulfric said, silkily. He rose to his feet, gesturing to one of the smaller, more private rooms off the main hall. "Come. I wish to speak with you. Your man can wait here and break fast if he hasn't already."

Arianna stiffened at hearing Argis being referred to so dismissively.

"Thank you, my lord." Argis's response was smooth and untroubled and a balm to her temper.

Arianna followed Ulfric into the antechamber, frowning slightly when he pushed the door shut behind them.

"What do you want, Ulfric?" she snapped, ignoring his gestured invitation to sit.

"Is that any way to address your King?" he asked softly, circling behind her on silent feet.

Arianna resisted the urge to spin around and punch him. She suspected that would be going too far.

"Have you forgotten your oath to serve me?" he continued, his mouth too close to her ear.

"I did my part," she answered, stiffly.

"So you did, but I had hoped that you would remain in Windhelm. The house set aside for you remains empty and you haven't been seen in months. What have you been doing, Dragonborn?"

She hated that silky tone, the forced reasonableness that she had come to recognise as a prelude to him asking for something outrageous. "Putting down the Forsworn," she answered, shortly.

"And living exclusively in Markarth which is about as far from here as you could get."

'Here', Arianna noted. Not 'Me'. "I'm sure that my king has noticed the complete absence of Forsworn in Eastmarch." She couldn't keep the acid out of her tone.

His hands settled heavily on her shoulders and spun her roughly around to face him. "Do you have to be such a bitch?" he asked, harshly.

"What do you want?" She repeated, refusing to use an honorific or be cowed by him. It was a surprise when one hand lifted and backhanded her hard across the face, his heavy ring cutting into her flesh, and sending her sprawling to the floor. She could feel blood trickling down her cheek.

"You will show me some respect," he hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Or I will beat you black and blue."

Arianna stared up at him, letting her disdain mould her features. "What do you want, my Jarl?" Her voice was quiet, and as hard as nails.

He reached down and pulled her roughly to her feet. "There's a dragon at Bonestrewn Crest. It's been flying too close to the city. I want you to kill it."

Her temper flared. "You dragged me all the way here to do something that your own men could do? I'm not your puppet, Ulfric, but as I'm on my way to Riften to get married, I'll kill your stupid dragon as it's pretty much on the way," she yelled.

"Married?" he roared. "Who exactly are you marrying?"

"That is none of your concern," she answered, shortly, cursing herself for letting that particular piece of information slip.

"You will return here when the dragon is dead."

"No, I will not." His hand rose. "If you hit me again, I swear you will regret it."

"Threats against your king, Dragonborn?" His voice was soft, deadly, his eyes lit with fury. "I could have you arrested."

Arianna took a deep breath. "I think we're done here. I will kill your dragon." She tried to side step him but he mirrored her, placing himself squarely in front of the closed door.

"And you will return here."

"Fine. Whatever." He had always been mercurial and unpredictable towards her and Arianna just wanted to be away from him. Her cheek throbbed painfully and was stiff with blood.

"You're lying."

"Ulfric, what do you want? I mean really want and don't give me some bullshit about dragons."

"An alliance," he said, softly.

Arianna frowned at him, not understanding. "We are allies," she said. "Of a sort."

"Think about it. The high king of Skyrim and the Dragonborn. We would make a formidable couple."

Arianna's mouth fell open. "You are joking."

His face darkened but whatever he was about to say was cut off by a sudden, urgent knocking on the door.

"My Jarl?"

Arianna recognised Galmar's voice and heaved a sigh of relief as Ulfric turned and opened the door to admit the grizzled, old general. She took advantage of the moment to slip past them both back into the Great Hall.

Arianna laid her hand lightly on Argis's shoulder. "Come on," she said, quietly. " We need to get out of here."

Argis stood up and carefully extricated himself from the bench. As he turned to look at her, his smile faltered and his face set into tight lines of fury. "What happened to your cheek?" he grated, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Not here. We need to leave. Now."

"I'll..." He made a small movement in the direction of the passage.

"Argis!" Arianna caught his arm. "Let it lie. We need to go."

She was relieved when he followed her out of the palace, picking a fight with Ulfric wouldn't have done either of them any favours.

They were well on the way to Bonestrewn Crest before Arianna slowed enough for Argis to catch up to her.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he demanded before she could say anything.

"Ulfric and I had a disagreement." She smiled a brief, bitter smile. "We've always rubbed each other up the wrong way."

His hand gently cupped her face, turning it towards the sun so he could examine the wound. She winced as his fingertips carefully pressed along her cheekbone. "It's not broken," he murmured. "You have quite the bruise though." He dropped his pack and bent to rummage through it until he found a salve and piece of clean cloth and then straightened,

Arianna held perfectly still as he wiped the dried blood from her face and applied a liberal amount of ointment to the bruised cut. "Why did he hit you?" he asked, anger threading into his voice.

"It was the only response he could think of. Argis, listen, I don't want to talk about this now. Please let it go."

He nodded briefly but his face was still furious.

It turned out that luck was on their side as they approached the Giants' camp leading to the crest. The ground shook under their feet as they took in the sight of an enraged giant and dragon fighting each other.

"Well, that's something." Arianna said, drawing her bow. It only took a couple of careful arrows to aid the giants killing blows and the dragon died. "Let's not hang around. It'll be dark soon. We need to find somewhere safe for the night."

Whatever had been attached to the squat, stone tower had long since been claimed by the wilderness but the ground floor of the tower itself was dry though very dusty. Arianna wrinkled her nose, trying not to violently sneeze, as she moved silently up the winding stone staircase to check that the structure was as empty as it appeared.

Argis let his pack drop to the ground and looked about. "Anyone here?" he asked as she reappeared down the stairs.

Arianna breathed Aura Whisper but there were no humans in range. "A couple of wolves maybe."

"Okay. Let's eat and then I'll take first watch while you get some sleep."

Arianna frowned at him. Since they had become promised to one another, Argis had subtly changed. He had become more assertive, more protective, not overbearingly so but definitely more and since leaving Windhelm, he had been ruthlessly controlling a fury that she hadn't known he was capable of but she could see it on his face every time he looked at her and saw the vivid bloody bruise on her cheek.

Deciding that it wasn't worth cross words, she shrugged. "Alright." She sat down on one of the bedrolls, her arms loosely clasped about her knees, and watched Argis get the fire going and set up a cooking pot over the flames.

"That's going to need to cook a while," he said, settling the lid on the pot.

To her surprise, he sat behind her, his legs either side of hers, and wound muscular arms around her waist. She felt his breath on her hair and relaxed against the solid wall of muscle at her back. One arm disengaged from her waist and fingers brushed the hair from her neck so he could plant a line of gentle kisses on the smooth white skin. Kisses that seared through her body.

"You have the most beautiful neck," he murmured. "Are you going to tell me about Ulfric?"

Arianna's answer was to twist in his arms until she was facing him kneeling between his thighs. She captured his face in two hands and lightly brushed her mouth across his, the tip of her tongue tracing the full bow of his upper lip. She heard his breath hitch as one big hand slid up into her hair and the other settled in the small of her back and lips pressed firmly to hers, gently working until he could slip his tongue into her mouth and she moaned softly.

Argis lay back on the bedroll, drawing her with him so that she lay atop his body, their mouths still glued together.

It was some time before Arianna broke the kiss, her heart was pounding and he had ignited a slow, steady burn between her legs that was screaming for attention. She clasped her hands on his chest and rested her chin on them, looking into his face.

"I want you," she said, simply, and felt him tremble slightly beneath her, saw his features stain with a delicate flush.

"And I you. We'll be wed soon," he answered, a small smile curving his lips.

"Argis-"

"Ari, we've had this discussion. It means a lot to me to wait."

"But you're driving me crazy."

He chuckled, his hand applying gentle pressure on the back of her neck until their lips were almost touching. "And you think that I am made of stone?" he asked before closing the gap, his mouth capturing hers once more.

Arianna whimpered, half in protest, half in surrender as his intoxicating, persistent tongue pushed into her mouth, sweeping over hers and his fingers tightened in her hair.

They were both breathing heavily when they drew apart but if there were any changes in his body, it was impossible to tell through his armour. His face was soft as he carefully traced her lips with one fingertip.

Arianna opened her mouth and took his finger inside, sucking and swirling her tongue around it. She felt his hips involuntarily jerk upwards and heard his strangled, sucked in breath.

"Gods woman," he muttered, pulling his finger away. "You do make it hard for a man."

Arianna grinned. "I certainly hope so," she said, rolling off his body. "It wouldn't be fair if I was the only one going crazy."

Argis laughed weakly. "Fair point," he said, getting to his feet and returning to the fire to stir the contents of the pot. "This is nearly ready."


	5. Chapter 5

Maramel, the priest at the Temple of Mara, was delighted when Arianna and Argis approached him, hand in hand, and asked if they could be married. He congratulated them heartily and set the wedding for the following day.

Outside the Temple, Argis kissed her cheek lightly. " I have some things to do," he said. "I'll see you here later." He smiled his sweet smile. "I can't wait."

Arianna nodded and watched him walk away towards the market. Deciding that she would go and see Hofgrir at the stables and invite him to be a witness, Arianna walked towards the gate. The guard looked at her steadily for a long moment and seemed on the verge of speaking as he opened the gates.

Outside, six Stormcloak soldiers stood in a semi-circle.

"Dragonborn." One stepped forward. "We are under orders to escort you to Windhelm."

"Ulfric," she spat, angrily as the men surrounded her. "I don't want to go to Windhelm," she objected wondering if it was worth trying to run but she was unarmed and clothed only in a light dress.

"We must insist." The speaker wore the uniform of an officer.

Arianna felt hands on her arms that were strangely gentle as her wrists were bound tightly behind her back. A gag was fitted around her face and she was reminded of the first time she had seen Ulfric, bound and gagged, on the cart to Helgen.

One of the soldiers peeled off and returned with one of the sturdy horses from the stable.

The officer turned to the two guards at the gate. "You will say nothing of this to anyone. Jarl Ulfric's orders. Do you understand?" he said softly. Arianna saw them glance at each other, unease plain on both faces, before they nodded and she was pushed up into the saddle and the horse led away.

It was only a few hours to Windhelm and they arrived as night was falling. Arianna's mind was full of Argis, he would be getting ready to go to the Temple and she wouldn't be there. Her heart was breaking at the thought.

The little company attracted more than a few curious stares and whispers of "Dragonborn" as she was marched through the run-down, dirty city to the palace. Arianna held her head high, kept her face impassive as rage coursed through her body.

She was taken straight to the dungeons and a cell obviously prepared for her as it had a plate of fresh food, a bottle of wine and clean blankets atop the straw on the floor. The officer carefully undid her hands and untied the gag.

"I am sorry, my Lady," he murmured as he backed out of the cell and the door slammed with a metallic clang and the key turned in the lock.

Arianna looked around her; the cell was small and had one tiny opening high in one wall. She had never been locked up in jail before and the experience was proving to be unpleasant. She sank down onto the straw and sat, her arms loosely clasped around her knees and waited. She supposed that someone would come eventually.

It was hours later; the tiny square of sky visible from the high window had faded from black to the dark blue of near dawn and was studded with stars. Argis would be waiting for her, the thought caused her eyes to prickle with tears.

There were footsteps along the passage outside and Arianna heard the cell door unlock and open. She kept her face down, refusing to look at whoever was coming.

"On your feet, Dragonborn." It was Galmar. Strange, she had half expected Ulfric. "I won't tell you again." His voice was rougher than usual.

Arianna slowly lifted her head. "Why am I here?" she asked and saw a flicker of unease on the old general's face.

"Ulfric's orders," he answered, shortly. "He wants to see you. Come on now, girl."

"Isn't he afraid that I'll shout the place to pieces?"

Galmar strode across the cell and, gripping her upper arm tightly, yanked her to her feet. He spun her and bound her hands securely behind her back and gagged her. She was marched through the palace to the private quarters and pushed roughly through a door, which slammed behind her.

Arianna glanced around; a huge bed covered in a blood-red cover dominated the room. A fire blazed in an ornate hearth on one wall and two comfortable looking chairs were set in front of it.

"Good morning, Dragonborn, I hope you slept well." Ulfric's silky voice came from one of the chairs. "You disobeyed a direct order, I knew you would. That's why I sent the men to Riften to bring you back." He rose to his feet and turned to face her, his eyebrows lifting at her attire. "Nice dress," he remarked, his gaze sweeping down her body.

Arianna stood, ram-rod straight, her eyes fixed on the wall as he moved behind her, his thick fingers undoing the leather strips binding her wrists.

"There are guards outside the door. If they hear anything untoward like, oh I don't know, your Thu'um for instance, they are under orders to kill you." The gag was dragged roughly from her mouth and tossed aside as he moved in front of her.

"They can try," she spat, unable to stop herself.

Ulfric's face broke into a wide smile. "Ah, that's my girl."

"I am not your girl."

"No." He laughed, a sudden chilling burst of sound, "A Housecarl, Dragonborn. Could you really do no better than him?"

Arianna's heart lurched. He would be waiting for her. Her beautiful, trusting, caring man.

Ulfric seemed to see something in her face. "You love him," he whispered.

"He's a better man than you will ever be," she answered, her voice as soft as Ulfric's had been, and watched his face crease with anger.

His hand lifted and he slapped her hard across the face, his fingers catching the livid, already painful bruise on her cheek. Arianna sucked in a sharp breath but made no other sound, which just seemed to enrage him further. She doubled over, panting in pain, as his fist drove into her stomach and then his other hand delivered a ringing slap to the side of her head that sent her sprawling onto the floor.

"Black and blue, Dragonborn," he reminded her, bending over her, his fist winding into her hair and jerking her head up.

"A woman-beater," she sneered. "Why am I not surprised?" She could take a beating, had done so before and it was, quite frankly, preferable to some of the alternatives. She was also sure that it wouldn't hurt as much as the thought of Argis waiting at the Temple and her not showing up.

"I will teach you respect," he hissed, his fingers tightened painfully in her hair.

"Yes. Beating the hell out of me will really help your cause," she answered, caustically,

"Can we not be civil to each other?" His voice smoothed out as his fingers stroked the side of her face. Arianna jerked her head back, her hair pulling in his fist. "A pity," he murmured, delivering another stinging slap.

Arianna curled into a ball, her arms wrapped protectively around her head as blows rained down on her body. The only sounds in the room were the repetitive smack of his fists and his breathing became harshly laboured as he beat her.

Eventually, she had no idea how long, he seized her arms and yanked them roughly from her face. "You will submit to me. I am your king," he hissed. His face was red with effort as he dragged her onto her knees by her hair and pulled her across the floor to the door which he threw open. "Take her back to the cell," he instructed.

Arianna was hauled back to the jail, hanging limp between the two guards that carried her.

The day crawled, she curled her bruised body up in a tight ball in the straw and found it impossible to sleep, all she could think about was Argis. She wondered how long he would wait for her.

Arianna didn't bother moving when the lock clicked and the cell door swung open, she heard the sound of the straw rustling as someone knelt beside her body and felt fingers brush the hair from her face.

"Ari?" It was a hoarse whisper but she recognised the voice. She opened her eyes and slowly unfurled her body to look up into a confused pair of blue eyes. He sucked in a sharp intake of breath when he saw the bruises on her face. "What? What are you doing here?"

Arianna's eyes filled with tears as she stared up at Ralof, the man she had escaped Helgen with, the man who had backed her up in countless skirmishes with the Imperials and one of the few people she considered a friend.

"Hey now." He carefully slid his arm under her shoulders and helped her to sit up. "Don't cry. What has happened? What are you doing here?"

"I've done nothing."

"Then..."

"I fell in love, Ralof. I was supposed to be married today." Her voice caught as tears spilled down her face, the salt stinging the cut on her cheek.

Ralof wrapped an awkward arm around her and held her close as she sobbed. "It's alright," he murmured. "Tell me what happened."

"Ulfric sent a squad of soldiers to Riften to bring me here." Her body shook violently against Ralof's. "He won't know what happened. Argis will think that I've jilted him. That I don't love him." The words spilled out of her in a hiccupping rush.

"Why would Ulfric-"

"He wants an alliance." She laughed bitterly through her tears. "And that wouldn't be best served with me being a married woman."

"Oh!" There was a wealth of understanding in the one word. "I see. Did Ulfric beat you?"

Arianna nodded miserably and then frowned. "Wait. How did you know I was even here?"

"Galmar." Ralof smiled grimly. "I did wonder why he was so insistent that I come down here to see a prisoner." He thought for a long moment, his blue eyes considering. "This is what is going to happen," he said at last. Arianna felt something like hope swell in her chest. "I'm going to leave now. I'll leave the door unlocked. Turn left out of the cell and keep going along that passage." He drew a lockpick out from somewhere in his armour and pressed it into her suddenly trembling fingers. "There's a door at the end that leads straight out onto the dock. Don't be seen, Ari. Get the carriage back to Riften and find your man. You might make it in time."

"You're going to get in so much trouble," she breathed, her heart beginning to race at the thought of getting away.

Ralof shrugged. "You're expected to escape, you're the Dragonborn. We will have no idea how it happened." He pressed his lips briefly to her forehead. "Be safe, my friend," he whispered, "and don't come back to Windhelm any time soon." He got slowly to his feet and opened the cell door. "Give it a few minutes. Take this." He tossed her a coin purse which Arianna caught neatly in one hand.

The door shut and Arianna heard the jangle of the key in the lock but no click and Ralof's footfall retreating up the passage. She heaved a huge, shuddering breath and stood up, wincing at the ache that seemed to cover her whole body. Going to the basin of cold water in one corner of the cell, she ran a washrag lightly over her face and combed through her hair as best she could with her fingers.

Once she judged enough time had passed, she carefully eased the door open and slipped silently out into the dimly lit stone passageway. Closing the door behind her, she locked it and pocketed the heavy iron key. She dropped into sneak and, hugging the damp wall, crept towards the door at the end.

Her hands were shaking as she inserted the slender pick into the keyhole and tested it carefully. It was a poor lock and she found the point where it would give easily. She held her breath and slowly rotated the pick. With a faint click, the lock gave and she pushed open the heavy door.

The dock was clear of people. She took the few steps to the low wall and dived cleanly into the water, the cold driving the breath from her mouth in a rush. She surfaced about half way across, half expecting to hear sounds that would indicate her escape had not gone unnoticed but it was still eerily quiet, as if the guards had melted away and let her flee. She reached into her pocket, found the key to her cell and let it fall from her fingers onto the riverbed.

She was shivering violently when her feet met the incline onto the bank and she emerged into the chill night air. She wrung the water from her dress and hair as best she could and jogged up the hill towards the stables, praying that the carriage would be there.

It was. The driver eyed her soaked form curiously as she approached.

"I want to hire your carriage," she gasped.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Riften."

"Climb in back and we'll be off." He studied her for a long moment. "There's a blanket under the seat," he added.


	6. Chapter 6

Riften always looked better at night, the darkness softened endemic decay to a romanticised ideal especially with one of the moons hanging low in the sky over the temple of Mara.

Arianna stopped outside the temple, breathing hard from sprinting through the town from the stables and was about to push the wide double doors open when momentum from inside sent them crashing open, bouncing back off the stonework. Argis, his face set in furious lines, strode through them. He paled when he saw her standing outside.

"Get away from me," he snarled, his good eye brimming with pain and embarrassment.

"Argis..."

"No!"

Arianna watched as her former betrothed, his shoulders rigid with betrayal, stalked along the wooden boardwalk towards the gate and disappear through them into the night.

It was late, maybe three hours until dawn. Arianna's shoulders sagged as she debated what to do. It was likely he was heading back to her house in Markarth, the house he was sworn to protect. It was a long and dangerous trek through Skyrims wilds. If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself.

Coming to a decision, she made her way quickly to her little house on the lake. Ignoring the obvious question on Iona's face, she went down the steps into the cellar and stripped off her still damp dress and boots. She hastily donned her skin-tight leather armour, strapped her bow onto her back and swallowed down a potion to accelerate and aid her body healing. She would follow Argis, she decided. Maybe once he calmed down a bit, they could have a proper conversation. Maybe after she told him what happened, he might still want to marry her.

She left the city, bearing left just outside the gates and across the farmstead there moving at top speed until she saw Argis's dark form ahead of her, his sword in his hand, slashing at undergrowth as he walked slowly passed. She hung back, not wanting him to know that she was following, her heart aching for his obvious pain.

As he made it onto the path that ran alongside the lake, she heard howling and three wolves, snapping and snarling, surrounded him. She watched him dispatch them easily with a barely controlled, savage grace before he began walking again.

As Arianna tailed him, the sky began to lighten, imperceptibly at first until the sun began to rise in the sky behind her with the promise of a beautiful day.

They were approaching Faldur's Tooth, a run-down fort on the northern side of the lake that was usually home to a large group of bandits who preyed on the travellers and merchants that used the path. She hurried to catch up a little, drawing her bow and dropping into sneak as Argis drew level with the rusty iron gates. There was a ferocious howling, two pit-wolves surged from the fort and arrows began to rain down from overhead.

Arianna silently picked her way along the waters edge until she was level with Argis; none of the bandits had seen her, intent as they were on bringing Argis down. She took a deep breath and drew the bowstring, the wood cool against her cheek as she aimed at the archer furthest away, high on the ramparts. With a whisper, the arrow honed in, felling him before he knew what happened.

A savage looking Orc burst from the gates to engage Argis hand to hand, Argis raised his shield against the war axe swinging at him, blocked and bashed him back causing him to stagger. Arianna released another arrow, hitting the Orc squarely in the throat. She smiled in satisfaction as he crumpled with a wet gurgling sound. Argis swung round, searching the shoreline but he couldn't see her. She was virtually invisible unless she moved. She let another arrow fly at a silhouette that had appeared atop the fort, felling him too.

Argis abandoned his search for her and ran into the fort, drawing his own bow as he went and screaming obscenities at the top of his voice.

"Idiot," Arianna muttered to herself, abandoning her stealth tactic and following. "Could you not have just let it lie?"

Inside the over-grown courtyard, Argis was under pressure from another three men. His back was to the wall as he was forced to parry and defend. Arianna took out one of the bandits with another well-placed arrow before they saw her and one peeled off, racing across the uneven ground, swinging a massive battle axe in one large paw.

"Arianna!" Argis bellowed but the axe was too slow. She was no longer standing in the same place so it bounced harmlessly on the ground as its wielder folded, her poisoned dagger stuck deep in his kidneys. The momentary distraction cost Argis a hefty blow to the ribs and he collapsed to his knees, gasping in pain, his arm wrapped tightly about his body.

Arianna moved swiftly in front of him, cutting off the last bandits killing blow. She wasn't a swords-woman, she much preferred distance between herself and her foes but she was almost inhumanly quick and had weapons in her arsenal that were as deadly as they were unique amongst humans.

"Fus Ro Dah!"

The shout drove the remaining man backwards; he tripped over a rock and went sprawling onto the ground. She was on him in an instant, her dagger slashing across his throat with a smooth, economical movement, neatly avoiding the blood that gushed from the wound. She wiped her blade on the dying man's filthy jerkin, sheathed it and turned to Argis who was still kneeling, panting in pain. Her hand glowed with a pulsing, golden light which she pumped into his body until he lurched to his feet, swaying unsteadily. He glared at her for a long, drawn out moment and pushed past her back towards the gate.

"Argis," she yelled.

"There's nothing to talk about."

Arianna caught up with him outside the fort and grabbed his arm. "Argis, wait."

He angrily shook her off. "I did wait," he snarled. "I waited all day and you didn't show up so I guess that told me." He continued along the path hugging the walls of the derelict stone fort.

Arianna stared after him not recognising this furious, hurt man. "Argis. Hold. Damn it!" she shouted, her tone more forceful and angry that she had intended.

He stopped abruptly, his shoulders pulling back and his spine ramrod straight as he waited for her to catch up.

"Yes, my Thane?" he asked as she drew level with him. The three words dripped with his pain and disappointment. He didn't look at her, his eyes remained fixed on some distant point.

Arianna moved in front of him and looked up into his face. "I didn't follow you all the way out here and save your ass on a whim, you know. Can we at least talk about this?"

Argis didn't answer, his mouth fixed into a hard, tight line that was ill suited to his full lips.

"Don't do this," she whispered. She reached out to lay a gentle hand on his arm and felt his muscles tense under her palm as a slight shiver ran through his body and she remembered the first time she felt his body react to her touch. "Give me another chance," she whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"Another chance to leave me at the altar," he questioned, nastily. He slammed his fist against the ancient stonework releasing a small puff of dust.

"Argis, I'm sorry. Do you really think that I would have followed you all the way out here if-" She trailed off and closed her eyes against the sudden prickle of tears. She would not cry.

"If what?" His voice was softer and she felt the warmth of his body as he moved closer to her. She opened her eyes to find him blurry and indistinct in front of her as a tear trickled down her face. His big hand gently cupped her cheek, his thumb chasing the tear, and he looked searchingly into her face. "If what, Ari?" he repeated as his hand fell away.

"If I didn't want to be married to you," she whispered gazing back at the face she loved, complete with the vivid scars that ran from his eyebrow, down his cheek to finish on the bow of his full lips. It was a sabre-cat had marked him years before and taken his eye into the bargain. Her beautiful man: he could appear gruff and taciturn but he was capable of huge acts of kindness. Under the abrupt manner, he was gentle, generous with a sly humour and he often warmed her heart and made her smile with his almost child-like wonder at the beauty of the savage world they lived in.

He looked at her for a long time and a little of the angry tension began to ease from his body. "You humiliated me." He sounded broken.

"I didn't mean to. Do you want me to get on my knees?"

The tiniest hint of a naughty smirk briefly flickered across his mouth. The smirk that told her that, for an instant, he was thinking filthy thoughts. "Depends what you do when you're down there." He groaned at the thought and pushed her roughly back against the wall, one hand sliding around the nape of her neck and into her hair as his lips found hers and he kissed her fiercely, his chest pressing against hers, keeping her immobile against the unyielding stonework as his tongue plundered her mouth.

Arianna wound slender arms around his neck and returned his kiss just as fiercely, holding him tight until he drew back, his breathing harsh and uneven.

"Gods woman," he muttered as he released her and took a step back. "A fresh start then." Arianna sagged in relief. "You had better stay in line," he added as if the offer was something he couldn't help but was still against his better judgement.

"Thank you." She reached out and stroked his unmarked cheek with her fingers. "Will you come back to Riften with me?"

"Aye."

They began to walk back along the shoreline of the lake in what was a rare bright and sunny morning. Arianna felt herself start to slowly unwind though she knew that there was another storm to come.

"Why didn't you show up? Second thoughts?" Argis asked, breaking the silence and sounding like he was trying to protect his heart.

"No,"

He glanced at her as her cheeks suffused with angry colour. "Then what?"

"I was arrested," Arianna muttered, not wanting to tell him about Ulfric. The eyebrow above his good eye rose sceptically. She took a deep breath and tried to explain. "I was going to the stables to ask Hofgrir if he wanted to come to the wedding and be a witness. There was a bunch of Stormcloaks waiting for me outside the gates. They took me to Windhelm and threw me in a cell."

"Windhelm," he echoed, incredulously. "Wait. Does this have something to do with Ulfric?"

Arianna nodded miserably. "Yes," she admitted, staring down at the ground.

Argis stopped abruptly and moved in front of her, his fingers lifted her chin so he could look properly into her face and his eyes narrowed as he saw the new bruises, fury flaring on his features. "What does he want with you, Ari?" His voice was gentle though and she wanted him to hold her more than anything in the world as her eyes filled with tears again.

"An alliance," she whispered. "The kind that wouldn't work too well if I was married to somebody else." She seemed to have no control over her tears and they spilled from her eyes, tracked rapidly down her cheeks and dripped from her jaw to fall in tiny splatters in the dust at her feet.

Argis sucked in a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm stealing the high king's would be wife."

"No," Arianna cried, swallowing down the huge lump that had formed in her throat at his words. "He's trying to steal your would be wife."

"You'd be queen."

"I don't want to be queen. I don't want to be anywhere near a man I despise and who thinks that beating the hell out me is a good way to make me obedient." She took a deep, shuddering breath, terrified that even now she could lose him. "Ulfric doesn't want me, he wants the Dragonborn. I don't want him, I want you." She started to sob and whirled blindly away from him. To be stopped by his gentle hands on her shoulders, turning her and enfolding her into his arms, his lips soft against her hair.

"Hush love. Don't cry," he murmured as she clung to him, her body shaking uncontrollably in his embrace. "Tell me what happened. How do you come to be here now?"

"I escaped," she gulped. "I had help. I think there were quite a few guards that didn't agree with Ulfric locking up the Dragonborn for no reason. I swam across the river and got the carriage back to Riften. I had literally just got back when..." her voice broke as his fingers lifted her chin and he looked down into her tear-soaked face. "I wanted to be in time. I thought I would be. I would never have hurt you like that if it had been in my power to-"

He silenced her with his mouth on hers, his soft lips brushing lightly across hers in an echo of the first kiss they had shared except this time, his tongue licked the tears from her lips before pushing gently into her mouth. "He'll not have you, love," he said as he drew back and his voice was like steel. "Not if you don't want him. When we get back we'll go straight to the Temple and then I don't let you out of my sight."

She hated that he sounded so wary on what should have been a happy day for them both and she hated Ulfric. "Whatever you want," she agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

***SMUT WARNING***

Maramel was the second livid man she had to deal with. The priest ranted for a while and then stopped abruptly. "Mara teaches us to forgive," he intoned, his voice returning to its usual register. "If your intended has forgiven you." He looked searchingly at Argis who nodded once. "Very well. The wedding is back on. Tomorrow from dawn until dusk."  
"Thank you," Arianna whispered as her hand was caught in a firm grip and Argis lead her from the temple back to Honeyside.

Arianna slowly removed her leather armour and stowed it on the mannequin in the cellar. Argis's ebony was on the other and it was strange to see the two lifeless figures standing side by side. As if it were them struck dumb and motionless.

She could hear Argis moving about upstairs and then the front door slammed. She knelt on the floor and rummaged through her pack, searching for the dress that she had looted a few weeks before. She smiled as she remembered Argis's naughty smirk as he looked at the dress, his head tilted to one side in a considering way. "Nice. When can you try it on?" he had commented with a lewd wink and snorted in amusement when she had blushed and stuffed it into her pack rather than discarding it.

"There you are," she muttered, pulling the dress from the depths of her over-stuffed pack and shaking it out. She took off her underwear and slid the dress on over her naked body, carefully adjusting the bangles on her upper arms to hide the bracelets of bruises, settling the straps on her shoulders and tightening the wide leather girdle. She discarded the white rag tucked into the belt and looked down at herself. The bodice, what there was of it, plunged between her breasts exposing the soft swell almost to her nipples and the skirt was slit on one side right up to her hip. It was even more indecent on than it had looked.

She knew that she wanted to chase the lingering pain from his face, to re-affirm their love but she had no idea if this was the right way to go about it. She took a deep breath and silently climbed the wooden stairs up to the bedroom.

The double doors out onto the deck were wide open and neither Argis nor Iona were anywhere in sight. She walked out into the bright afternoon sunshine and peeked around the corner. Argis sat at the little table, a bottle of ale in his hand and his face brooding. Two platters of food sat waiting on the rough-hewn tabletop and her heart melted at the thought of him preparing them. His head swivelled towards her as he sensed her presence.

"Come and eat." Argis gestured at the chair opposite him.

Both of his eyes widened as she came into full view and he took in what she was wearing, almost wearing, his face flushing. "God's woman," he muttered, staring at her.

"I wouldn't wear it out of the house," she said, quickly, "but I'll wear it for you. If you wanted me to," she floundered, trying to gauge his reaction by his expression. "I can change." She started to back away but was stopped dead by his lightening-quick, calloused hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist.

Argis swung his legs out from under the table and pulled her down into his lap, her skirt twisted as she landed, leaving one toned thigh exposed almost to her crotch.

His arms encircled her waist, his breath hot on her shoulder. "You're alright," he rumbled and it was more a growl than anything. "But tell me one thing; why does a beautiful, young thing like you want to saddle herself with …" He gestured self-consciously at his face. "Well, with this?"

Arianna frowned at him, grateful that he hadn't mentioned the soon to be high king, and leaned in. She gently kissed the scars on his cheek, her lips trailing down the vivid lines until she found his mouth. His arms tightened around her as she lightly ran her tongue across his full upper lip and the end of the scar.

"You think I care about that?" she whispered. She looped her arms around his neck, feathering kisses across his forehead to his dead eye. He jerked back. "Does it hurt?"

"Well no, but..."

"Then hush." She continued her gentle exploration, kissing his eyelid softly and along each of the deep scars again until her mouth met his.

He groaned, deep and low in his chest as one hand slid up her back into her hair and his mouth opened to hers, his tongue playing across hers. His other hand dropped to her thigh to stroke and caress the pale skin, his fingers inching higher and she could feel the hardening that was happening beneath her.

"We should wait," he groaned against her lips.

"We should be married by now," she reminded him.

"True." It was a primal grunt. "If you push me much further woman, I won't be able to stop," he warned as his hand reached the top of her thigh and his breath hitched as he realised that the dress was literally all she was wearing. He extended his thumb to brush lightly across the tight, soft curls at the junction of her thighs.

"I don't want you to stop," she whispered and stifled a gasp as he adjusted the arm around her so that she almost lay across his lap, her back resting against the wooden wall of the house. He lowered his head and began to nuzzle and lick the exposed swell of her breasts, his thumb slowly circling across her pubic bone as his fingers worked to insinuate themselves between her thighs.

"I think I still remember how to do this," he muttered against her skin as his lips found her nipple through the thin material and sucked hungrily. Her body arched into his touch, her legs parting just enough to let his hand slide between them, his index finger brushing the line of her sex.

Arianna stifled a moan as his finger worked carefully into her folds and his lips moved to lavish attention on her other breast. She was terrified that he was going to stop. She wanted him so badly, had wanted him for weeks but he had never let things progress past kissing and very occasionally his hand straying to her breasts. She was unsurprised when he lifted his head from her quivering body and his fingers stilled but his words did surprise her.

"I think we should take this inside," he growled.

"Iona is-"

"Out," he finished, rising to his feet easily with her still in his arms. He carried her the few feet back into the house, kicking the doors shut behind him and let her fall onto the bed. He swarmed over her, his knees between her thighs, and his hands settled on her shoulders, his fingers hooking under the wide shoulder straps of her dress and pulling them impatiently down her arms exposing her breasts fully.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered. His face darkened as he saw the rings of bruises on her upper arms. "I'll kill him," he growled. "This cannot be allowed to stand."

Arianna shook her head. "I've had beatings before. There are far worse things a man can do to a woman. Please, Argis. Just let it go."

"For now," he agreed, his face clearing. He stared down at her for long moment before he bent his head, his lips fastening on her nipple once more as his hand delved under her skirt.

"Uh!" It was a guttural moan torn from her throat as she felt a sweet, tugging ache begin to build at his fingers working into her, teasing and caressing her increasingly wet pussy. She whimpered in protest when his mouth left her breast and arched her body up toward him.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked.

Arianna frowned and nodded, slightly confused by the question. "Of course."

But his lips didn't find hers. Instead, her skirt was pulled eagerly to one side, exposing her to the waist and Argis shuffled back on his knees until his face was level with her triangle of golden hair. His hands hooked under her knees and pulled her legs apart, holding her wide open. She stiffened as he blew gently onto her hot, wet folds and very deliberately licked the line of her sex before feathering a light, circling touch on her aching clit. She felt rather than heard him groan deep in his chest as he breathed in the scent of her.

"Argis!" Her body bowed under his skilful mouth, his tongue was working in a maddening, sweet rhythm licking and sucking the sensitive nub. He pushed her legs wider apart, one hand slid up her inner thigh and she felt his fingers carefully explore her entrance before one substantial digit pushed slowly into her body.

"Oh!" It was a long keening wail, she felt her body tense and clench around his finger as the throbbing ache grew more intense. The muscles in her thighs began to quiver as her body began to reach for release and the pressure of his tongue intensified, his finger sliding more quickly in and out of her body.

"Oh. OH!" She ended on a high-pitched scream as something gave deep inside her and her world exploded into a nerve shattering, toe-curling pleasure that radiated through every part of her. Her hands clutched desperately at the bedspread, her head whipped from side to side. It was too much, she would fly apart but Argis kept up the delicate pressure, riding her through her first orgasm in months and the first she had ever had from a mans tongue on her.

When her trembling body finally subsided back onto the mattress, he raised his head and sat back on his heels, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before grinning down at her limp form, a gleam of smug, satisfaction in his eye.

"If you knew how long I've wanted to do that to you. Good I still remember how."

Arianna looked at him through heavy lids. "How long?" she asked, archly.

"Oh, let me see." He lay down beside her and tenderly gathered her into his arms. "It was most inappropriate," he punctuated his words with light kisses on her face, "you'd just been hit by an arrow and I was trying to get a potion down you but when you did finally suck the stuff off my finger, I nearly lost the ability to think straight. I was also terrified that you were going to die." His mouth settled on hers and she could taste herself on him as he kissed her, his tongue tracing her lips before slipping into her mouth.

Arianna reached down between their bodies, her hand found the laces on his breeches and was stopped by his hand firmly catching hers and guiding it back up to his chest to rest over his heart. She could feel the strong, steady beat under her palm.

"That can wait," he said, breaking the kiss. His voice was low and tinged with something she didn't understand.

"But..."

"Later tonight. When we're married." He drew her closer to his body, relaxed back into the pillows and yawned widely.

The silence lengthened, his breathing became deep and slow and she realised that he had fallen asleep. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him, his face was relaxed, almost boyish. She kissed his cheek lightly and carefully disengaged herself from his arms. He grumbled a protest but didn't wake.

Arianna put her underwear on and stuffed the slutty dress into the wardrobe. It had certainly had the desired effect, she shivered as she thought about his mouth on her and glanced back over her shoulder at the sleeping Argis.

Since she had been injured, they had slept in the same bed. There had been kisses, many, many kisses but he would always ruthlessly stop himself, muttering about how it wouldn't be right to go any further until they were wed. She had tried arguing that as they were promised to each other, it didn't make much difference and each time, he had fixed her with a steady stare and said "Not to you maybe. It does to me. We will wait." That was that and he continued to drive her crazy with his sweet, intense kisses.

She was amazed that they had gone as far as they had that afternoon but she still had neither seen nor touched him.

She studied him through narrowed eyes. He was big like most Nord men were, powerful and honed from years of physical training and fighting. Older than her by a few years though no grey showed in his blond hair yet. She realised that she couldn't wait for him to finally drop all his reservations, cover her body with his and fuck her senseless.

She involuntarily shivered at the thought, a pulse coursed through her body to spark in her loins. She crossed the room on silent feet and let herself out of the doors onto the deck, looking forward to the cold water on her suddenly super-heated body.

Arianna swam for a long time, her strong limbs cleaving through the glass surface of the lake, the exercise easing the aches from her body. The sun was setting when she finally turned for home and it was fully dark when she climbed the steps back onto the deck. She wondered if Ulfric knew that she was no longer in the cell and shuddered at the thought of his fury when he discovered that she had disappeared.


	8. Chapter 8

***SMUT WARNING***

Argis's face was like stone when Arianna slipped quietly back into the bedroom, her long pale hair dripping down her back. He eyed for a long moment before the tension eased slightly from his features.

"You weren't supposed to leave my sight," he growled and she could hear the underlying fear in his tone.

She quickly crossed the room and planted herself squarely in his lap, looping her cold, damp arms around his neck.

"Gods woman, you're freezing," he complained but his thick arms slid around her waist nonetheless and she nestled into the solid warmth of him.

"I just went for a swim," she said, reassuringly. "I thought you'd still be asleep."

"I've not been awake long." He shifted beneath her. "You're getting me wet, woman."

Arianna bit back a laugh and pressed her lips to his forehead. "You get me wet all the time," she countered and smiled as his arms tightened around her.

His tongue traced her collarbone to her neck and she shivered as he nibbled lightly to her jaw. His lips found hers, his big hand sliding up her back into her hair as he kissed her gently.

"It's nearly time for me to go to the Temple," he said, against her mouth. "You're sure about this?"

Arianna got a sense of his panic when he had woken up and found himself alone. "Yes my love, I'm sure." She slid off his lap and grabbed a cloth from the dresser to dry herself properly with. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, his expression turning to one of longing as he watched her peel wet underclothes down her legs and step out them, her breastband quickly followed and she stood, naked, in front of him.

"Gods woman. You are beautiful." He cupped her breast in one capable hand, thumbing her nipple to hardness. His other arm encircled her waist, pulling her closer until she stood between his knees. He leant forward, feathered light kisses across her stomach and ribs and drew back, a smile curving his lips as her fingers entwined into his hair and she tried, without success, to guide his mouth back to her body.

"Once we are married, I will kiss every inch of you," he promised.

Arianna laughed. "Oh, I think I would like that."

"I reckon you would," he agreed and stood up, holding her close to his body for a long moment. "It's time for me to go." There were strands of fear and pain in his voice.

"I'll be there soon. I just have to dress and do something with my hair."

He took a deep breath and she could almost see him take the leap into trust again. "Alright."

As soon as Argis left, Iona returned. "Do you need any help getting ready, my Thane?"

Arianna frowned. "He's leaving nothing to chance, is he?"

Iona shrugged. "You wounded his pride and hurt his feelings deeply. He does not want that to happen again. He also doesn't want you to be taken against your will."

Arianna coloured and bent over to dry her hair as best she could and hide her face.

"I do. Now and forever." Argis's voice was firm and confident as he spoke the words that would bind them. He looked at her and Arianna could tell he was holding his breath. He glanced towards the doors of the temple almost as if he expected a troupe of Stormcloaks to burst through and stop the ceremony.

"I do. Now and forever," she said at Maramel's prompt and saw relief surge through her husband's body.

Argis's hands were shaking as he slid the heavy gold ring onto her finger. "We need to decide where we're going to live."

"We'll stay here tonight and tomorrow." She moved closer to him. "I've paid for two nights at the Bee for Iona," she whispered. "We'll have the place to ourselves. Then I think we should go to Markarth."

He nodded briefly. "What if he summons you again?"

"I won't go," she answered, flippantly. "Let's worry about that if it happens. It's our wedding night, Argis."

Argis stared at her for a moment. "I'll see you at home then, love. Give me a little while."

Arianna hung back talking to the wedding guests to give him time to do whatever it was that men did when they first got wed.

Eventually she decided that enough time had passed and, with a last thanks to Maramel, she left the temple.

Arianna was nearly home when a deafening roar split the night. She looked up to see a huge, black shape gliding low over the city and frost spewing in a steady stream. She instinctively reached for her bow and cursed her under her breath; she was unarmed and her usual jewellery spelled with protective wards was in a drawer at home. She moved back under the overhang of the Blackbriar house, her back pressed against the rough, stone wall and watched the Riften guard rally and pepper the beast with arrows as it flew over again, spraying the market place with killing cold. She could see the door to Honeyside and, as the dragon circled away, she hiked up her skirts and ran towards the house. As she approached, the door flew open and she cannoned into a warm, solid chest.

"Dragon," she gasped as thick arms encircled her. "I need my bow." She was lifted over the threshold and the door slammed behind her. Breathing hard, Arianna looked up into Argis's face and found him shaking his head.

"Not tonight," he growled.

"Argis. I must-"

He shut her up with the simple expedient of covering her mouth with his. Arianna pushed against his chest, her mind dimly registering that he wore a pair of light trousers and nothing else. She had never seen him unclothed; he even slept in his armour. The second thing she noticed was that he smelled of soap and his hair was damp and combed.

She tore her mouth from his. "Argis, I have to."

His face shuttered. "Fine," he said, shortly, his arms dropping away from her.

Arianna hurried to the cellar and grabbed her bow and a quiver of ebony arrows. The weapons felt strange without her armour but there wasn't time to struggle into the skin-tight leather. She ran back up the stairs to Argis rifling through her jewellery drawer.

"Fire or frost," he asked, looking back over his shoulder.

"Frost."

He tossed her the gold frost ward and watched as she fastened it around her neck, an unfathomable expression on his face.

She smiled at him briefly and slipped back out of the house, immediately dropping into sneak and drawing her bow. When the beast flew low over the rooftops again, she aimed for its chest and let her arrow fly, hearing the savage roar of pain and fury as she hit the wide, black chest squarely.

With a thunderous crash, the dragon landed in front of the Jarl's mansion, its heading thrashing from side to side belching frost. It snapped at one of the guards who was foolhardy enough to get too close but the man stumbled back managing to escape the gaping maw. Arianna advanced, rapidly firing arrows at its head, watching as it's thrashing became weaker.

Her final arrow embedded deep in one eye and the creature died, spewing a final burst of frost that washed over her body before she was enveloped in the swirling maelstrom of magic that stripped flesh from bone and its soul poured into her frozen body along with images of fights and the savage joy of the hunt and of flying.

Arianna lowered her bow as the guards gathered around her and she heard "Dragonborn," muttered.

She turned slowly to go back to the house and saw Argis standing a few feet away, his arms crossed defensively across his still bare chest.

"Help me," she whispered through stiff lips.

"Ari." His body relaxed into movement and he was by her side in an instant, swinging her up into his arms and cradling her chilled form against his chest.

She looked up into his face, his mouth was pressed into a tight, angry line. "I'm alright," she said. "It was just a bit of a shock without my armour." She was already starting to warm up and reached to run her fingers over one defined pectoral and felt his arms tighten around her. "You can put me down."

He glared at her for a long moment and let her slide down his body until her feet met the ground. His arms remained locked around her.

"Argis, this is who I am. You knew that. Are you regretting being wed already?" she asked, softly.

"No! Never that."

Arianna, realising that his anger was based in fear, let her fingers play across his chest, curling into the fine almost coppery hair. He caught one of her hands in his, his face softening and lifted it to his mouth kissing her palm.

"Shall we go home now, my love," he murmured against her skin, his eye meeting hers.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. I believe that you have a promise to keep." She was relieved to feel his grin against her hand.

"Come then, wife."

He kept possession of her hand as he lead her back to Honeyside and once inside, he took her bow and lifted the quiver from her back.

"I'll put these away." His face suffused with desire. "Maybe you could change back into that dress," he suggested, his voice husky.

"Or I could just take this one off," she countered.

"That would work."

She watched his broad shoulders disappear down the steps to the cellar and pulled the simple blue dress over her head and let it fall in a puddle on the floor. She sat on the edge of the bed and bent over to unlace her soft leather boots, her hair tumbling around her shoulders.

Argis was suddenly kneeling in front of her gently working her boots off. "You nearly scared me to death," he muttered. "Chasing after that damn dragon with virtually no protection.

Arianna trailed her fingers across his broad shoulders enjoying the feel of his smooth, soft skin. She felt him tremble under her touch and his big hands pushing her knees apart so he could kneel between them. "Argis, I'm fine and it's dead." She looked into his face and saw worry lingering. "What's the matter?" she whispered, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. His hands settled on her waist and he buried his face in the warm curve of her neck, his lips kissing the smooth skin, pulling the flesh gently between his teeth.

His fingers found the ties of her breastband and tugged until they undid then both hands swept up her back and under the shoulder straps, sliding the flimsy material down her arms and throwing it to one side. His mouth travelled south, teasing a wet line to the valley between her breasts and up over the soft swell to tongue her nipple into eager hardness.

Argis rose up on his knees, covering her body with his as he forced her to lie back on the bed, his mouth moving from one breast to the other and back. His fingers stroked down her sides and found the ties that secured her panties at each hip. He passed over them, running his hands down her legs and back up, his thumbs tracing her inner thighs until they met the taut, increasingly damp material that covered her.

Arianna jerked uncontrollably when he ran his thumbs over her slit, circling lightly and his mouth trailed down, kissing her ribs and stomach until he met the edge of her panties and traced the line from hip to hip. He slid his hands under her thighs as he deliberately took one of the ties between his teeth and pulled until it came loose. His tongue described wet circles across her stomach to her other hip and teeth pulled that tie undone.

She reached down and entwined her fingers into his hair as his tongue slid under the material and into her soft curls. "I want to see you," she protested as his fingers hooked under the fabric and pulled it clear of her body.

"You will." His voice was muffled as his mouth covered her, his tongue working into her wet folds to find her clit.

His hands left her and she looked down the line of her body to see them busy pushing his trousers down his thighs. His mouth never left her as shifted his weight from one leg to the other and his trousers joined her discarded dress on the floor. He lifted his head to meet her eyes and the worry still lingered.

"Move up the bed," he said and his voice was strangely harsh.

Arianna sat up and shifted back until there was room for him to kneel on the bed. He didn't move for a long moment then, with a deep breath, and bracing himself with powerful arms, he pushed himself back up onto his feet.


	9. Chapter 9

***SMUT WARNING ***

Arianna's eyes roved eagerly down his body; wide chest tapering to narrow hips and … Oh. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes widening. He was … enormous. There was no other word that would suffice. Longer than anyone she had seen before and with a girth that could only be described as staggering. She knew there was no chance of her fingers meeting when she encircled his shaft. She looked back up to his face and saw that he had flushed a dull red. He reached for his trousers.

"Whoa. Stop. What are you doing?" she asked, crawling across the bed to kneel in front of him and catch his hands in hers.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you. We shouldn't have got married without you knowing," he babbled, his face flushing an even deeper red.

"What? Argis."

Arianna released his hands and slid her arms around him, splaying her fingers on his waist. She pressed herself to him, his thick hardness sliding up between her breasts so that when she dipped her head, she could run her tongue over the tip. He groaned low in his chest and his body began to tremble as she licked him. He tasted pleasing, of soap and salt. She rocked her body carefully against his, keeping her upper arms tight to her own body holding her breasts in exactly the right place to stroke his shaft as her tongue swirled over him.

When his fingers entwined into her hair, she took a deep breath, opened her mouth as wide as she could and took him in. It was almost painful, her jaw was stretched so wide but she found a rhythm sucking and stroking him and felt his trembling intensify.

She slid her hand over his tight, firm ass, down the back of one powerful thigh and back up the front until she could cup his heavy balls in her palm, her finger found the sensitive spot just behind them and pressed lightly.

"Gods woman," he gasped, his fingers tightening against her scalp and his hips involuntarily jerking forward, forcing him deeper into her mouth as his breathing came in rapid, short bursts.

Arianna felt her jaw crack in protest and she nearly gagged but she forced herself to maintain the rhythm until he began to shudder and with a long, low groan, he exploded into her mouth, his cum hitting the back of her throat. She swallowed him down, every last drop and, letting him slip from her mouth, sat back on her heels to look up into his face.

To see a wild look as he dropped to his knees, still panting, and crushed her to his chest, his mouth blindly seeking hers in a wet open kiss, his tongue pushing into her mouth.

They remained glued together for several minutes before he dragged his mouth from hers and, still breathing heavily, let his forehead fall onto her shoulder.

"Oh woman,"

"I'll get better at that," she promised and heard him laugh shakily.

"I don't think you can get any better at that."

"I can but try," she teased lightly.

Argis lifted his head to look into her face. "In the past, most woman have run a mile. I'd stopped allowing myself to want anybody." He smiled briefly. "Until I met you."

"I am not most women," Arianna said firmly. "I am your wife. And what your wife would like is for her husband to make good on his promise and then, oh Argis, please just fuck me."

Worry skittered across his features again. "What if-"

"It'll be fine. It's just going to take a bit of patience on your part."

"But-"

"Argis. Woman have babies and they're a lot bigger than that." She waved a careless hand towards his groin and wriggled out of his arms. He watched her intently as she moved onto the bed and lay down, her hair fanned across the pillow. "You promised me kisses, Argis," she reminded him and smiled to see his face clear as he scrambled up onto the bed beside her.

"So where was I?" he asked, a broad smile curving his lips.

Arianna pointed at her stomach. "About there."

He leant over her body, his tongue flicking over each nipple. "So, I'd been here," he murmured working down across her stomach. "But not here."

She yelped in surprise as he slid his hands under her and rolled her swiftly onto her stomach, straddling hers thighs in a smooth movement. He swept her hair from her shoulders and she felt his lips on her back as he bent over her and his hot, hardening length resting on her ass. His fingers caressed her arms and covered her hands, pinning her to the bed as he feathered kisses across her skin in deliberate, methodical lines and she couldn't help but compare his loving, gentle touch with that of the detestable Stormcloak.

Arianna's body started to throb with a desperate, pulsing, aching need. She wanted him so badly it was robbing her of the ability to think. He drew her arms together, capturing both of her wrists in one hand to hold them in the small of her back. His now free hand swept over the curve of her ass and his mouth followed, his tongue tracing ever decreasing circles on each cheek before his lips continued down her thigh.

"Oh gods," she gasped. "Argis, please. Please." It was no more than a whimper.

Argis adjusted his weight and pressed his knee into the gap between hers, forcing her leg outwards repeating the movement with his other knee so that he knelt between her splayed legs. He curled his fingers around her hips and pulled her up onto all fours. She moaned and writhed in his hands as his tongue finally pushed against her wet folds and into her hot, swollen, desperate body.

"Oh gods, please." She wantonly thrust her hips back against his face, her whole body shaking with the need for him inside her. When his hand slid over her stomach and his fingers found her clit and began to rub in teasing circles, she thought she might die, it felt so good.

She had no idea how long he continued his tender assault, time fused into everything and nothing, the only things that existed were his fingers and tongue and the desperate need that coursed relentlessly through her body.

And then, shockingly, it stopped. Just as her body was about to shatter into a thousand pieces, he withdrew from her and she screamed in outrage.

She heard him chuckle softly through the roaring in her ears and she was flipped onto her back, his hands under her thighs pulling her legs apart and then, oh gods, the thick head of his cock pushing against her entrance and he rocked himself carefully, trying to persuade her body to let him inside.

Her eyes flew open, his face was a mask of concentration and his eyes fixed on the point where their bodies fused.

Arianna willed herself to relax utterly, stressing her thighs wider until she felt the indescribable feeling of him finally pushing into her.

"Oh gods. Yes." she screamed. "Yes. Yes." It tailed off into a breathless mantra and he slowly, carefully, inched into her, filling and stretching her. Her body began to tremble, tensing and clenching around him, becoming hotter and wetter, she saw wonder dawn on his face before she came, harder than she had ever come before, her back arching, head thrown back, eyes rolled to blindness.

His body covered hers then, his mouth finding her neck as her body convulsed under his. She wrapped long legs around his hips, drumming her heels against him, encouraging him deeper.

"Fuck me," she breathed against his ear. "Please."

With a deep trembling breath, Argis forced the rest of his cock into her tight depths and he was completely sheathed within her. He stilled for a long moment and began to move tentatively.

Arianna felt her body open and spread and his confidence grow until he was giving her long, steady strokes. She shifted her legs up to his waist and it seemed he went even deeper into her. His hand snaked under her lower back and pressed her body closer to his as he fucked her.

"I'm going to come again," she gasped against his hair and this time, her roiling, molten insides undid him too. She felt him lose his careful rhythm and slam into her as everything fragmented and her world dissolved into searing pleasure and the man between her legs. She heard him groan over and over, matching her screams, as he poured into her and they came together.

Arianna let her legs slide from about his waist, releasing him so he could collapse beside her, his body covered with a light sheen of sweat, his breathing ragged and his cock stickily limp against her thigh. His arms snaked around her, holding her almost painfully tightly as he kissed her forehead, her cheek, her jaw before settling on her mouth in the most intensely sweet kiss she had ever received from him, his tears running down his face to their lips.

He lifted his head to look down into her face, his fingers smoothing her hair back from her forehead. He seemed speechless.

"I love you," Arianna said, her fingers catching the tears still wet on his cheeks. "Now and forever." She smiled brightly at him. "I did tell you it would fit," she added and heard him laugh weakly as he pressed his lips to her ear.

"And I love you," he whispered. "Now and forever."

Arianna awoke the morning after their wedding to Argis's heavy arm flung across her body and his erection pushing against her hip. She smiled to herself and wriggled slightly, moving her body closer to his. He groaned in his sleep, his hand skimming her ribs to cup one breast, his thumb circling her nipple as his erection grew more insistent. She stretched luxuriously against him, not surprised when his head lifted and a sleepy smile curved his mouth as his eyes opened.

"Good morning, wife," he murmured, snaking an arm under her back and gathering her close to him, his lips finding her cheek and, when she turned her head to face him, her mouth in a lazy kiss, his hand running possessively down her back. "I can hardly believe that I'm allowed to do this," he whispered with a chuckle, his fingers stroking her ass.

"You can do anything you like," Arianna answered.

"Anything?" His eyebrow quirked. "You don't know what you're saying, woman," he teased.

Arianna laughed and reached between them to lightly feather his cock with a teasing touch, feeling it leap and jerk in her hand as his head fell back onto the pillows. She trailed kisses across his chest, her tongue flicking his nipples into hardness, and then down, following the trail of strawberry blond hair to his groin. Argis groaned and relaxed onto his back, clasping his hands behind his head.

Arianna rose onto her knees and stared at the magnificent body stretched out beside her for a moment, enjoying the rush of heat that flooded her. She trailed her fingers over his chest and ribs, tracing the line of his abdominal muscles. "I didn't think you'd be quite so impressive," she said. "It was always so hard to tell with all that damn armour on."

Argis chuckled, his face flushing slightly at the compliment. "I knew exactly what you looked like naked," he admitted.

"What? How?"

"Remember that first morning we went out together? To that cave?" Arianna nodded. "I saw you get up." His face softened at the memory. "Naked as the day you were born. I shouldn't have watched you but I couldn't help myself. You pulled on this flimsy dress and came out to talk to me. All I could think of was how you had nothing on underneath it and how much I wanted to bend you over something."

Arianna laughed before bending over him and deliberately licking the length of his shaft. She felt his body tense, heard his breath escape in a rush as she pressed her lips to the thick head, her tongue describing wet circles over the velvet skin. She wrapped both hands around him and began a gentle rhythm up and down feeling him harden and grow under her touch.

"Gods woman," Argis gasped, his hand sweeping down her back and under her thighs. She lifted her ass and shifted her knees apart to allow his fingers to brush along her folds and moaned when he curled one finger into her body to probe at the sweet spot just inside.

Arianna's hips bucked on the finger as it explored her and she felt a second added.

Any further exploration was abruptly ended by a loud knock and the front door crashing open. Arianna hastily released him as he tugged a blanket over both of their bodies, and tried to arrange his hands over his groin to hide his erection.

"My Thane." Iona's eyes widened at the sight of the pair of them in bed and obviously naked at nearly midday. "Ulfric's men are here in Riften, looking for you. The guards are stalling them but they'll have to let them in and they're bound to come here. You have to get out of here."

Arianna looked back over her shoulder and caught the panicked expression on Argis's face. She frowned at him briefly and then had to stifle a giggle as, with a minute jerk of his head, he directed her attention to his lap and the struggle he was having trying to hide an enormous hard-on.

"We'll go and get our gear. Will you pack us some food?"

"Yes, my Thane."

As Iona headed back into the kitchen, Argis scooted out of bed and down the cellar steps. Arianna grinned at the sight of his bare ass disappearing and looked up see Iona enjoying the same view.

Arianna rolled onto her back and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, she heard Iona's hiss of breath.

"Argis did not give you those bruises?" Iona's voice was harsh.

"Oh no." Arianna stood up slowly allowing the other woman to see the extent of the ugly patches of discolouration faded to yellow-green that marched from her shoulders, down her back to mid thigh. "Those bruises are courtesy of Ulfric's fists." She turned, unselfconsciously, knowing that her breasts bore marks from Argis's hot, eager mouth. "These are from Argis." She smiled at the O of surprise on Iona's face and followed Argis into the cellar.

"Honeymoon's over then," Argis commented as he sheathed his favourite sword and watched appreciatively as Arianna wriggled into her tight leather armour.

"Apparently so. I was hoping for a little longer."

Argis snorted in amusement. "A little longer what?" His face quickly sobered. "How are we going to get out of here? There's bound to be soldiers on both gates."

"That's why I love this house, we can swim straight off the dock." Argis's face tightened in disgust as she flipped open a pocket on her pack. "Here, put this on." She selected a gold ring identical to his wedding band and handed it to him. "Trust me."

"Always." He grimaced as he pulled off his wedding ring and replaced it with the copy. "It feels different," he grumbled.


	10. Chapter 10

***SMUT WARNING***

Arianna slipped out onto the deck. The harbour was quiet and there was nobody in sight as she moved silently down the steps, She looked back over her shoulder. Argis was close behind.

"Stay close," she instructed, wading into the lake.

She swam far more slowly than usual making sure that Argis was still with her. She knew the landscape of the lake as well as she knew that Argis hated to swim. She kept them heading west until they were well past Goldenglow Estate and the sun was beginning to slip down the sky to be swallowed by the Throat of the World.

Arianna, hearing Argis's laboured breathing behind her, struck out strongly for the shoreline and reached it quickly. She turned to watch Argis's progress and saw that he was wading not swimming. The waterbreathing rings that they both wore allowed them to emerge from the lake as dry as when they went in, Arianna had know idea how it worked but was impressed by its practicality.

"Come on," she urged.

"Wait."

"We can't stay here." Arianna looked back towards the path. "Oh fuck," she murmured.

Three Stormcloaks were picking their way through the scrubby undergrowth.

"Dragonborn."

Arianna recognised the soft tones of the officer who had _escorted _her to Windhelm a few days before.

Argis stepped in front of her and the air was filled with the cold, ringing hiss of his sword sliding from its scabbard.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"Our orders are to intercept the Dragonborn." His lips twisted briefly. "I see that this is a very different prospect this time."

"Why?"

Arianna could feel Argis's fury radiating in almost palpable waves off of his body as she drew her own slender blade.

"This is on the order of the king, Dragonborn."

"He has no grounds," Arianna said, stepping forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Argis. "You act on a whim and you will die here if you press this." Arianna could feel the unease that coursed through the two soldiers. "I don't want to kill you but I'm not going to Windhelm." There was a drawn-out silence.

"Stand down," the officer said quietly to his men. The two men retreated to the path. "So what do we do, Lady? I have no desire to die at your hands."

"Wise choice."

"But I am sworn to the service of Jarl Ulfric, honour-bound to do his bidding and he wants you in Windhelm."

"Ulfric wants a lot of things. It almost makes me wish I'd supported the Imperials." Arianna nearly smiled at the look of horror that flashed across the man's face. "You could say that you couldn't find me."

"I can't do that, Lady."

Arianna stared at him. "You could deliver a message to him from the Dragonborn." She watched hope blossom in his eyes. "I don't want to kill you," she said, softly, leaving no doubt in his mind of the outcome should he decide to attack her. Three of them against the Dragonborn and her warrior would stand no chance at all.

The officer glanced briefly towards his two men and then nodded. "I will take your message, Lady."

"And if a few copies were to fall into the hands of the other Jarls, that wouldn't be such a bad thing." Arianna murmured, catching his eye deliberately. " Argis, could you find me some parchment, please."

_Ulfric,_

_ Your men are alive and delivering this message because we didn't fight to overthrow the Imperials for this. We didn't fight a war so that you could then throw our brave soldiers at a pointless cause. You need to stop. Concentrate on the threat that the Empire still poses to Skyrim, rebuild your army and leave me be._

_ Dovahkiin_

"He's not going to like that much," Argis commented, reading the parchment over her shoulder as she carefully wrote out the third copy.

"What am I supposed to say? That if he sends any more soldiers after me, I'll slaughter them all? That we could throw Skyrim back into chaos if he persists in this." Arianna turned to look into Argis's face. "I didn't kill him. I took a beating from the man and didn't lift a finger against him."

"Why? I never understood that."

"Because, even though I despise him, I still think he's the best high king for Skyrim. If I had retaliated, his soldiers would have attacked me and I would have had to kill many. Men that I've fought with, men that are on the same side as me." Arianna glanced at the officer and saw that his eyes were like saucers as he listened to their conversation. "I just want him to stop. I'm married to you. There's no point in him pursuing this." She carefully folded the parchment and held it out to the officer.

"Is that what this is about then?" the Stormcloak asked. "Why we're under orders to find you? And you're already wed?" He shook his head. "Madness." He took the note from her outstretched fingers and tucked it away under his armour. "By your leave, Lady."

Arianna and Argis watched him rejoin his soldiers and heaved a sigh in unison.

"What have you done, my love?" Argis asked. "You risk making Ulfric furious enough to lose his reason completely."

"Soldiers gossip like you wouldn't believe. I'm hoping that embarrassment and the other Jarls will temper him. I won't go to him, and I don't want to hurt his men. It's an awkward position to be in and he knows it. "

"We could leave Skyrim."

"Would you want that?"

Argis thought for a long moment. "No," he admitted, finally.

"And nor do I."

Argis's face creased into a frown. "Are we going to do any more swimming?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Why?" Arianna frowned back at him, surprised at the strange question.

"Oh. Nothing."

It took them a day and a half moving swiftly across country to reach Markarth. Arianna had never been so glad to see the place. Argis bolted the door behind them and let his pack drop to the floor.

"Can we stay here?" he asked. "Will Ulfric send his soldiers here?"

"I don't know." Arianna moved into the circle of his arms and buried her face in his neck. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't imagine that the start of our married life together would be running away from a madman."

Argis's lips were soft on her hair. "Not your fault," he murmured. "Come on, let's get the fires going." He yawned widely. "And sleep. I feel I could use at least a week in bed."

Arianna grinned despite everything. "Sounds good to me."

It was a few days later and one of the rare mornings that she awoke before Argis. It had been a blessedly uneventful few days for which Arianna was grateful. Most of their time had been spent indoors revelling in the pleasure of being married and together with nothing else happening.

She carefully rolled out of bed, pulled on a light dress and padded barefoot out into the living area to tend the fires.

Arianna was engrossed in applying a water-breathing charm to a silver necklace when a thick arm wound around her waist and she felt the length of Argis's naked body pressed against her back and legs.

"Morning love," he said, his voice still clouded with sleep. His fingers brushed the hair from her shoulders and his lips settled on her neck. "Mmm, you smell good."

Arianna felt his cock hardening against her ass as one hand dipped into her bodice to cup her bare breast, his thumb and finger rolling her nipple gently.

The charm gently clicked into place, a spark into the silver, and the gem fragmented into fine dust

Arianna smiled in satisfaction and pushed back into his groin, wiggling her hips slightly, her smile widening as she heard him groan.

"That's not fair," he said.

Arianna dropped the necklace into her pocket and turned in his arms, his hand immediately travelled to her ass and squeezed as his lips found hers. His erection pressed insistently against her stomach.

"I want you," he growled against her lips.

Arianna ran her tongue across his lips in a teasing line, stifling a gasp when her lifted her easily onto the enchanting table, his hands dropping to her thighs to gather her skirt and bunch it around her hips. He trailed his fingers through her golden curls and parted her legs.

She gasped as she felt his thick cock trace the line of her sex and settle on her entrance, pushing against her tight resistance. "I'm not sure ..."

Argis growled in frustration and stilled. "Damn it," he murmured.

Arianna reached for him and wrapped her fingers around his hardness. He groaned and bucked into her hands. He came quickly, shooting his seed in an arc across her thighs. Arianna released him and looped her arms around his neck, her mouth seeking his.

"I'm going to do a little shopping," she said as she drew back from their kiss.

Argis stared at her, lust still etched on his face. "I still want you." He grabbed a cloth and carefully wiped his cum from her skin.

Arianna smiled and wriggled off the enchanting table. "I won't be long," she promised as her skirts swirled to her ankles. "Then we can go back to bed if you'd like." Her eyebrow lifted suggestively.

"You're going out like that? With no underclothes on?"

"No-one will know."

"I'll know."

"You won't be there."

Arianna was concentrating on getting up the steep steps to Vlindrel hall without dropping anything when she became aware of a blond man in Stormcloak uniform climbing the steps ahead of her and knocking loudly on the iron door. She hung back as Argis answered quickly and saw his expression turn to anger.

"Pardon me. I'm looking for the Dragonborn."

Argis scowled at him, his hand coming to rest on the pommel of his sword. "What do you want with the Dragonborn, Stormcloak?"

"You are Argis? I am Ralof, I'm a friend of Ari's."

Arianna's face broke into a huge smile as she realised who the visitor was. "Ralof!" she called as Argis came down the steps to meet her and relieve her of her shopping.

"Who is he?" Argis growled.

"An old friend. The first person I met in Skyrim in fact," she said. "And he helped me escape from Windhelm so I could come and find you."

"Come in then. Eat with us." Argis invited as he climbed back up the steps.

They settled around the main table. Ralof took a swig of ale from the bottle Argis handed to him and set it down in front of him. "You made it to your wedding," he said, looking from Arianna to Argis.

"Yes. I should formally introduce you. Ralof, this my husband, Argis."

Ralof smiled. "Congratulations to both of you."

"Thank you." Arianna's face sobered. "What are you doing here? What does Ulfric want now?"

"Things he can't have," Ralof replied, darkly. "But he has, at least, taken counsel and agreed to leave you be. I'm here to tell you officially that there'll be no-one coming after you. I would offer an apology but that would be from Galmar and me not Ulfric." He fixed Argis in his clear blue gaze. "I would be wary of assassins though."

"Were you supposed to tell me that?"

"No." He sighed and relaxed back in his chair, stretching out his legs under the table and clasping his hands across his belly. "There was a lot of discontent among the Jarls when the story got out about how he kidnapped you from your own wedding and beat you senseless. You not lifting a finger against him when everyone knows you could tear him to pieces and escaping in a seemingly magical fashion from a locked cell also helped your cause. I don't think he realised how far your influence and popularity extended. The Jarls have ganged up on him. One of your staunchest supporters is right here in Markarth."

"Yes. My Jarl is very grateful for the rapid decline in the numbers of Forsworn in the Reach."

"He told Ulfric that you and Argis had decimated them. Anyway, the consensus is that Ulfric does not have the right to haul you, the Dragonborn no less, into jail just because he feels like it. This is good news, my friend."

Arianna smiled. "Yes." She reached across the table and took Argis's hand. "And there always seems to be an assassin trying to kill me so that's nothing new."

Ralof stayed the rest of the day and left as night fell to get the carriage back to Windhelm.

Arianna watched Argis bolt the door behind him and retreated to her favourite chair beside the fire. She curled into it and grabbed a book from the pile on the table. Argis paced behind her chair and then came to squat on the floor beside her knees gently removing the book from her hands and taking them into his, his thumbs tracing gentle circles on her skin.

"Is that it? Is it over?" he asked.

Arianna shrugged. "Who knows what Ulfric will do but there won't be any more soldiers looking for me."

"That's something. Can I ask you a favour?"

"Of course."

"Will you make me something else with that water charm on it?" His face was very serious as he looked into her face.

Arianna smiled. "Why?"

His lips quirked into a rueful grin. "I don't like taking my wedding ring off."

Arianna groped into her pocket for the silver chain. "Something like this maybe?"

He laughed softly and took the chain from her fingers. "Yeah. Something like that."

It sounded to Arianna as if he was laughing at himself.

Argis rocked back on his heels and flowed to standing drawing her with him as he still held her hands. "You said we could go back to bed."

Arianna smiled and allowed herself to be lead back to the bedroom. Argis seemed intent of making up for the weeks of abstinence and she wasn't complaining one bit.


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

The rage clawed at him like a tangible, living thing. He had been thwarted, bested by a girl who should have been his to command.

A shudder ran through his body as he thought about her body curled on the floor, the sound of his fists raining blows onto her back and legs and the almost unbearable hardness. He had wanted her so badly and it would have been so easy to throw her onto his bed but he wouldn't do that. Not force himself on her. He wanted her compliant. He wanted the full hopelessness of her situation to sink in. He wanted her to give herself to him.

Instead, she had disappeared from his dungeons and none of his guards were admitting to knowing what had happened to her. They were lying, he knew that, but the fact remained that she was just gone, vanished from a locked cell that nobody could find the key for.

And she had married the Housecarl who was so far beneath her it defied description.

The Dragonborn and a _servant._

If she had chosen him, she would have been queen. She would have been his.

He didn't think that she would refuse him, refuse to come at his summons. His fists clenched to knuckled white as he thought about her message and the undeniable truth of what she had written, about how all of his Jarls seemed to know about his obsession with her and their warnings about his unacceptable behaviour towards her.

"Leave her be," they had all said. "She is the Dragonborn and not yours to command."

He would show them. And her. She would be at his mercy again and he would show none.

He lit the last of the candles that framed the grisly effigy and took up the knife. He prayed to the Nightmother.

"_Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear."_

Argis the Bulwark would die, and the Dragonborn would be his.

_Fin_

Thank you for reading.


End file.
